In the train station of Oberhausen, on the ground floor, space accessible from outside in the right corner of the station is space for years called “Leerstand” (ger. empty space).
All that is left from the empty space is the name for the café/creative/multifunctional room – Leerstand.
The reconstruction was executed in 2020 by kitev (non-profit organisation located in the tower of the Oberhausen train station) with the highest precision and sense to detail. The idea was to create a clear connection between the genius loci of the old space and the new function and materials. Another important condition in work of kitev is flexibility and variability as the space should be used publicly and for big variability of events – workshops, concerts, theatre, meetings – but also on a daily basis as a restaurant/café.
The old materials and structure are left on the walls and the ceiling, while all new substances are added from the waist-height down. The walls are possible to read as a history book where the bricks, stones, wall claddings, plaster or old signs are conserved and reminding us that we are still in the building of Oberhausen train station.
