URBAN WILDERNESS – Knitting on with the front garden

Pina Bausch Centre under construction, Bundesallee 260, Wuppertal

Register here

Mums and sons, dads and daughters, families, friends and anyone looking to make new friends or make the world a better place – in short, anyone who would like to see greener surroundings in our cities: On 21 and 22 November from 11.00 am to 6.00 pm, as part of the URBAN WILDERNESS project, the Pina Bausch Centre under construction is offering members of the public the chance to get hands-on with the temporary redesign of the forecourt of the former Schauspielhaus. Since April 2026, a great deal has been achieved on the square, from installing street furniture to planting trees, runner beans, hops and more. Thanks to the efforts of so many! The aim is to work together to transform this currently underused space into a vibrant, green place to spend time.

We’re moving forward under the guidance of landscape architect Véronique Faucheur from atelier le balto and architect and carpenter Alex Römer from Constructlab in Berlin. Together, we aim to further develop the design of the forecourt garden with a view to spring 2027. With the following objectives in mind, we will build further elements and plant more:

• Green the space with additional planters
• Install and integrate edible plants and pick-your-own gardens
• Provide better screening from the road: a ‘protective gesture’
• Build prototypes or create three-dimensional representations on site using simple materials (string, planks, tape measure, people) to test spatial changes and make decisions.

No prior experience is essential to take part. It helps if you’ve held a saw or a cordless screwdriver before – or if you’re patient enough to learn how to use them on the day. Alternatively, participants can get involved in gardening, planting tulip bulbs, tending the existing flowerbeds and preparing them for the summer season.

Your registration helps us with planning.

© Urban Wilderness

About URBAN WILDERNESS

URBAN WILDERNESS is a 15-month pilot project run by the Pina Bausch Zentrum under construction and Neue Effizienz gemeinnützige GmbH. The aim is to transform the outdoor space surrounding the future centre into a climate-resilient and socially engaging place. The project deliberately begins before the actual construction work starts and focuses on concept development, testing and public participation. The German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) is funding the redesign of the outdoor areas around the Pina Bausch Centre under construction with €70,000.

URBAN WILDERNESS is an open participatory experiment. Here, we plant, build, experiment, discard and rethink. It’s not just about greening: it’s about new ways of living together in the city. And about the question: how do we shape our city together? Urban and wild!