Nicolas Beucker - Krefeld

Krefeld's Appeal

Although Nicolas Beuker lives in Düsseldorf, but since 2005 he works as a professor for public & social design and between 2008 and 2013 as faculty director of the design department of the Hochschule Niederrhein in Krefeld. As a result, he has a different, but not at least interesting view on things than the residents. During an interview with Kreativ Quartier on the creative landscape in Krefeld, he said that most people hesitated to move into the city, but “those who have moved to Krefeld, acknowledge the city for her unrevealed qualities. Wonderful urban structures, wonderful proportionality. […] the inspiring music and creative scene”. Out of his interest for interdisciplinary approaches, Nicolas Beuker founded the centre for competence SOUND – Social Urban Design at the Hochschule Niederrhein, which, in collaboration with municipalities from the Niederrhein, develops different approaches to people-oriented urban development. In cooperation with the city government and the Urbane Nachbarschaft Samtweberei, he carried out the StadtRaumFestival VIERTELPULS during which the Samtweber quarter was filled with life for nine days. “Seeing this, you might get an idea of what connects me to my job in Krefeld”.
Author: Jan Kempinki

Art and cakes at Café Liesgen

In the middle of Krefeld's inner city, at Wiedenhofstra ße 71, Café Liesgen is located. This little paradise for coffee lovers is spread over two floors. After their study (product design, Krefeld), owners Anna and Kathrin fulfilled their wish of running their own café. Anna likes vintage dresses and hot chocolate. Kathrin likes big tattoos and chocolate cake. Both love handmade things: the shop counter is self-made, the furniture is painted by hand and all the signs are hand-written. Food and drink is served in grandma's porcelain. Everything you can see and buy here, so the two say, carries a piece of their personality inside. Every day there is fresh food from the oven: cakes, breads, pancakes. Incidentally, the food is vegetarian, partly vegan. The coffee comes from a nearby roasting mill. Through changing art exhibitions, the rustic walls are constantly being refreshed. There is always something new to discover. Our tip: breakfast on Saturday morning - reservation in advance saves a long wait.
Author: Thomas Meurer
Fotos: Moritz Krämer

Wiedenhofstraße 71 47798 Krefeld http://www.liesgen.de

Design collective platzda creates space for creation

Haus Ramrath at Westwall 54 is the address of design collective platzda. Since the beginning of 2016 the five freelance communication designers Judith, Monika, Lydia, Katrin and Clemens have been using the small house as a joint office, studio and exhibition space. In addition to coffee, printers, joint commissioned projects and the intent and purpose of good design, the five creative Krefelders also share the idea of regularly opening up their shop space and shop window for creative events. Then platzda makes space for any kind of creation: art, product design, literature and music. The collective already successfully launched a design market at the end of last year. This year, too, the house will reinvent itself again and again. Our tip: Follow them on facebook and do not miss an event.
Author: Thomas Meurer
Fotos: Katrin Mevissen, Andreas Hoelters

Westwall 54 47798 Krefeld http://www.krefeldplatzda-gestaltung.de

Non-profit project "Neighbourhood velvet weaving mill"

Where once the management of the old velvet weaving mill and later the city administration were active, today freelancers and small agencies, design offices and media builders, coaches and artists, students and project initiatives are all working under one roof. In coworking spaces, they share space and wifi. There are five floors full of life in the Pionierhaus, a house for entrepreneurs and businesses; partly listed as a monument, at the Lewerentzstraße. Everyone is an equal pioneer. The house and its creative soul are meant to get the entire area, the velvet weaving quarter, which has been derelict for a long time, back on its feet again. Since September 2014, around 20 young creative companies have been located here. The pioneers provide their competences in various projects in the surrounding velvet weaving quarter - in partnership and in a neighbourly way. In exchange, they pay only a small basic rent for their offices. "Half-rent for the quarter", project company Urbane Nachbarschaft Samtweberei GmbH ( Urban Neighbourhood Velvet Weaving Mill ltd.) calls this innovative mixture of giving and taking - and it works: because of the creative work, a place for affordable and community living is emerging here, in Krefeld's south-western inner city. In the spring of 2017, the first apartments in the old velvet weaving mill will be moved into. In total, there are 37 units, most of which have already been rented out. Our tip: Simply take a stroll through the quarter.
Autor: Thomas Meurer

Lewerentzstraße 104 47798 Krefeld http://www.samtweberviertel.de

Real Pioneers: sputnic – visual arts

Sputnic - visual arts are tenants of the first hour in the Pioneerhaus. A ll the way at the top, on the fifth floor, the three cosmonauts Malte, Nicolai and Nils build their self-made machines, experiment with lighting and illustrate the complexity of the w orld in simple images. To this end, they cooperate with international researchers and artists. Like many pioneers, they value the quality of spaces flooded with light, individually designed offices and the communicative organisation in the Pionierhaus, which is timelessly well-suited for networking. Since 2004 the three work collaboratively and interdisciplinary in the fields of film, scenography and design. In their works, sputnic investigate social, cultural and commercial processes as well as media productions. They have won prizes for their live animation cinema productions, in which they completely eliminate the boundaries between theatre, film and performance. Our tip: An absolute must to experience live!
Autor: Thomas Meurer

Gladbacher Str. 238 47805 Krefeld http://www.sputnic.tv