Für den Umbau zu wertlos

Baukultur NRW has designed an exhibition that presents the results of the UmBauLabor's work to date to the public. The topic is the value of a building's materials and resources and the misconceptions surrounding them. The exhibition, "Too Worthless for Conversion," can be seen at the UmBauLabor at Bergmannstraße 23 in Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf from June 13 to August 22, 2025, on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The exhibition opening will take place on Saturday, June 14, at 10 a.m. as part of the summer festival "Transformation as a Task. 25 Years of Baukultur NRW" on June 13 and 14. During the summer festival, the opening hours are Friday, June 13, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings in the construction industry. They are often the reason for demolition, lack of maintenance, and missed opportunities for renovation. In the UmBauLabor, visitors learn which prejudices are true and which we must discard for a renovation culture of the future. Together, we will re-examine the space and materials of this 120-year-old building and learn to appreciate, maintain, repair, rethink, and preserve what exists.

What opportunities, resources, and values ​​lie within a building? How can renovation be relearned? In the UmBauLabor in Gelsenkirchen, Baukultur NRW will test and discuss sustainable and circular planning and construction – on a 1:1 scale – until the end of 2026. The UmBauLabor is a meeting place for the development of renovation culture: spaces and materials are examined, reinterpreted, converted, demolished, or expanded. The principle is: used or upgraded is better than new. Renovation becomes a tangible experiment.

Opening: June 14, 2025, 10:00 a.m.