Friday Group: Vacancy + Richness

The decline of department stores has been with us for some time now, with department stores becoming empty shells, even in Dessau. At the same time, preserving existing buildings is becoming increasingly important for reasons of resource and climate protection. Department stores are being rediscovered as shells with potential.

In the Friday Group, we take a look at these new developments. The local starting point is the former Zeeck department store in Dessau, which is now to be given a new lease of life. As part of the anniversary celebrations To the Core. Bauhaus Dessau 100, one floor of the former department store will be used for the first time to host a major exhibition dedicated to alternatives in today’s construction industry.

By refilling former department stores with art and culture, spaces for exchange and social interaction beyond commercially oriented trade can indeed be created. But can we also use this development to raise awareness for greater consumer restraint? Throughout the history of department stores, protests against capitalism have repeatedly targeted these “palaces of consumption”. Today, we consider the consumption of goods to be one of the causes of global climate change.

What will happen to our cities if we no longer buy and consume as much? What would our cities look like if there were repair shops, exchange stores, greenhouse architecture, neighbourhood courtyards and regional markets instead? Would global trade collapse, would there be less value creation, or would the understanding of value creation change? We want to discuss this.

Language: German