Pilot project, sponsored by BSW Hamburg
Project period: Dec. 2024 – Sept. 2025
The project in brief
From December 2024 to September 2025, Colonnaden Hamburg was transformed into a stage for creative neighborhood development: a living Advent calendar, an open-air gallery, a large neighborhood picnic under the arcades and Mediterranean greenery enlivened the magnificent boulevard in the heart of Hamburg and invited visitors to experience it.
The aims of the pilot project were to raise the profile of the neighborhood and strengthen the neighborhood community. As the initiator of the project, we at Stadtmanufaktur were responsible for designing the profile and measures, providing support in operational neighborhood management, stakeholder management and local activation.
Vision Colonnaden: The Colonnaden BID district (est. 2025) and pilot projects for neighborhood development are shaping the future of the district © Zum Felde BID Projektgesellschaft mbH
Task and background
The Colonnaden are a special place: historically characterized, architecturally striking and atmospherically unique – an elegant alternative to the city’s busier shopping streets and proud owner of “Hamburg’s longest summer terrace”. At the same time, the quarter was heavily affected by lengthy construction sites. The quality of life and visitor frequency, as well as businesses and restaurants, suffered as a result.
We at Stadtmanufaktur recognized this: It was high time to give “our quarter” back its flair and appeal. Thanks to our office location in the middle of the Colonnaden, we experience what moves the neighborhood, its people and guests on a daily basis. We wanted to support and help shape this.
However, in discussions with the local neighborhood management of the Colonnaden e. V. association, we encountered capacity and funding bottlenecks. Despite the successful launch of the BID Quartier Colonnaden, the local interest group’s options for action were limited. At the time, the city center coordination had not planned any projects or measures in the district either.
Without further ado, we independently submitted an application under the “HiddenPotential” grant programto create a vibrant and resilient Hamburg city centre. And it was a success! The grant was approved, and our neighbourhood development work could begin.
Our way of working
1. define neighborhood profile
Until the start of the project, no neighborhood profiles existed for Hamburg’s city centre. Although there were certainly approaches among individual stakeholders, there was no individual profile for the Colonnaden as a model for measures and communication.
The first steps in the project were therefore to develop a profile derived from the neighborhood’s areas of strength, unique character and target groups.
We developed creative measures and activation ideas based on the newly defined neighborhood profile, which we quickly designed and implemented. It was important that the local stakeholders not only benefited from the neighborhood development, but were also able to actively participate in the individual measures.
Colonnaden Hamburg: neighborhood profile at a glance © Stadtmanufaktur GmbH
2. implement measures to profile the neighborhood
Living Advent Calendar (December 2024)
From December 1 to 24, 2024, a new “door” was opened every day – i.e. participating traders, restaurateurs or actors from the Colonnaden came to the fore with a special promotion. The spectrum ranged from discount campaigns, small gifts and Christmas snacks to raffles and musical performances.
Open-air gallery: “In the light of others” (July – Sept. 2025)
The funding received was also used to create the “Im Licht der Anderen” open-air gallery : an interactive, three-part work of art measuring a total of 15 meters long and 2 meters high by the artist duo Genger & Schroeder . artist couple Genger & Schroeder. The open-air gallery was opened in July 2025 at Gustav-Mahler-Platz with a vernissage and remained freely accessible for several weeks.
“Im Licht der Anderen” was much more than a work of art – it became an interactive experience and meeting space. The project showed that interactive art in public spaces has great potential: it offers a low-threshold, low-barrier cultural experience, creates new qualities of experience, even in places of transition, and attracts a wide audience.
Mediterranean night in the Colonnades (July 2025)
The Mediterranean Night took place as a public neighborhood picnic, deliberately organized Focusing on small, atmospheric moments and encounters rather than large crowds. You’re invited included residents, employees, business owners, and random passersby, as well as Tourists. The campaign was promoted through city magazines, posters, flyers, postcards, and e- Mailing list.
The Mediterranean Night proved to be blueprint for a new, neighborhood-driven event format and demonstrates that even small, atmospheric events can showcase the versatility of the can immediately boost the city centre. Instead of a traditional large-scale event, a is testing a low-threshold, neighborhood-based format that unlocks new potential for the city centre :
- Social component: Encounters across social boundaries.
- Cultural component: Music, dance and spontaneous contributions in public spaces.
- Economic component: Connection of the catering trade and, in the future, greater integration of the retail trade.
Mediterranean planting and plant sponsorships (July – Sept. 2025)
Mediterranean plant walls as a welcoming gesture for visitors: The newly designed entrance situation became an effective signal – “this is where the Colonnades begin” as an independent quarter. The planting immediately lent a new flair and showed that positive changes are possible even in transitional phases characterized by construction sites.
In addition, many other Mediterranean plants, such as palm trees, lemon trees, and olive trees, were planted along the colonnades. Business owners were able to sponsor —and thus take responsibility for—the plants. The response was overwhelming. More sponsors signed up, athan there were plants available—a strong sign of people’s enthusiasm for getting involved.
3. strengthen the neighborhood community
Traditional Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) increase the attractiveness of urban districts, but often prioritize structural-infrastructural measures and neglect social-cultural-societal issues and networking. Conceptually, there is often a lack of clear priorities, and the involvement of other stakeholders remains low, although these are crucial for neighborhood development.
As part of the pilot project, we supported the work of the Colonnaden e. V. consortium and, in addition to the BID’s efforts, provided impetus for holistic neighborhood development. Initiatives such as the plant sponsorship program, the Advent calendar, and the joint organization of the Mediterranean Night in particular fostered networking and helped business owners identify with the neighborhood. – and, by extension, the neighborhood community. We supported this through targeted stakeholder management (including increased and regular contact with local business owners).
Eat, drink and make plans – at the neighborhood picnic Mediterranean night under the arcades of the Colonnades
The result: goals achieved, future in sight
The pilot project for and with Colonnaden Hamburg was a very special project for us as the Stadtmanufaktur team. We were not only project initiators and implementers, but with our office and our day-to-day work we were right in the middle of the neighborhood development. This made it all the more exciting for us to reflect on the successes and findings of the pilot project :
- Formats such as the Mediterranean Night, the open-air gallery “In the Light of Others” and the Mediterranean greenery emphasized the independence of the Colonnades – and increased the quality of stay and the perception as an urban identification space.
- Following the successful Mediterranean Night, the local restaurateurs have joined forces to continue organizing neighbourhood festivals.
- We have provided new impetus and thus ensured that volunteering in the neighborhood has increased again.
- The rather subdued mood in the neighborhood has noticeably improved. The potential of the Colonnades has become visible and tangible again.
- We have raised awareness within the institutions, associations and players in Hamburg’s city centre of the need to raise the profile of the individual inner city districts.
The pilot project produced blueprints that can be continued by the BID Quartier Colonnaden and local stakeholders. As a result, the project objectives – from neighborhood profiling to strengthening the neighborhood community – were achieved.
Mediterranean Night 2025 at Colonnaden Hamburg – just one of many successful measures to revitalize the district
Image credits: Zum Felde BID Projektgesellschaft mbH, Marek Audirsch, Stadtmanufaktur GmbH
