Creative Transformation in the Heart of Chemnitz
Where trams were once repaired, a place for ideas, connection, and cultural movement is now emerging: the Garage-Campus. Since 2021, the former depot site in the Kappel district has been developing into a new address for creative work, collaborative design, and European cooperation – as part of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025.
This is where history and the future come together. People from Chemnitz, the region, and all over Europe get involved, share stories, develop projects, and shift perspectives. In collaborations like the European project “Garagen Companions”, the past is made visible in new ways – through art, participation, and living memory.
The Garage-Campus is a place in transition – open, diverse, and in the heart of Chemnitz.
Undiscovered Creative Potential for Visionary Minds
The Garage-Campus is located in the western Chemnitz district of Kappel, just a few minutes from the city center – easily accessible via tram line 1. Once a tram depot and operations hub of CVAG, the site is embedded in a character-rich industrial neighborhood with a strong historical identity.
The heritage-listed building complex spans approximately 30,000 square meters – roughly the size of five football fields. Seven halls and adjoining open spaces offer around 10,000 square meters of usable indoor area – space for ideas, exchange, creative uses, and new forms of urban design.
Evolving from the inside out to the center
The garage campus will be gradually developed from within, i.e. with the people and through an emergent approach. The active involvement, commitment and co-responsibility of local and regional actors, in the sense of a “social infrastructure”, is a central component of our approach. Learn more about what is happening on the ground:
„Gardens:* Saga of Traffic Lights and Dirt“
A joint European project between Brno (Czech Republic) and Chemnitz (Germany) Allotment gardens in European cities mostly emerged in the course of industrialisation and the development of the labour movement.... Mehr lesen
Looking Back: The First Months at the Garagen Campus
Since its opening in March, the Garagen Campus has quickly grown into a vibrant space for art, culture, and community. It’s a place where people come together to exhibit, build,... Mehr lesen
Christmas greetings from the Garage Campus with a look back and a look ahead
2024 - A year dedicated to the neighborhoodThe year of Chemnitz as European Capital of Culture 2025 is just around the corner and preparations for a year full of cultural... Mehr lesen
events
Get Involved and Help Shape the Future
The Garage-Campus has the potential to become a new cultural meeting point for Chemnitz, the region, and beyond. It is becoming a space for creative learning, making, and experiencing – a place where ideas are shared, developed, and brought to life.
The campus fosters innovation, connects people from across Europe, and makes Chemnitz even more attractive for talents, creative minds, and all those who want to make a difference.
What makes the Garage-Campus special: it grows through the commitment of many. Together, we are creating a vibrant place for exchange, collaboration, and cultural diversity.
Want to be part of it?
Then stop by, get involved – and help shape the change!
The team behind the Garage Campus
Die gemeinschaftliche Entwicklung des Garagen-Campus im Rahmen der Kulturhauptstadt Chemnitz 2025 wird von einem Kernteam koordiniert, das sich aus Mitarbeitenden der Kulturhauptstadt Europas Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH und der CVAG zusammensetzt. Erfahre mehr über das engagierte Team, das hinter den Kulissen zusammenarbeitet.