Jupiter Cultural Centre in Hamburg, Germany, announces its imminent closure.

Bid Farewell to Jupiter: Hamburg's Creative Playground Closes Its Doors

Jupiter's Culture Store Shuts Down Operations - Jupiter Cultural Centre in Hamburg, Germany, announces its imminent closure.

"Experience the unique shopping center that boosts your wallet" - that's the tagline above the entrance of the creative shopping center Jupiter on Hamburg's Mönckebergstraße. Jupiter, a destination designed to foster creativity amidst the consumer-crazed grounds of Hamburg, will shutter its doors on April 30, following three years of operation.

"What I loved about Jupiter was that you couldn't find another location where such a diverse group of people from all age groups convergence together," recalls Katja Ellwart, owner of the clothing resale store "homie." She set up shop at Jupiter in March 2024 and will now transfer her store elsewhere.

Bridging Emptiness in Hamburg with Creativity

Temporary occupation of the antiquated Karstadt department store was initially slated for just eight months and subsequently prolonged, but now the cultural center will cease operation with the termination of the "Frei_Fläche" funding program.

"Frei_Fläche" commenced in the summer of 2021 as a short-term initiative, bolstered by Covid relief funds. Working in tandem with the culture and media authority and the finance authority, the objective was to prevent urban voids and promote creative use of spaces across the city. By early 2025, according to the culture and media authority, over 91 locations covering almost 30,000 square meters had been utilized for creative purposes4.

Affordable Space for Creatives All Over the City

Jupiter debuted in 2022 as part of the financing program and served as a cost-effective playground for artists, musicians, designers, and other creative individuals in Hamburg. It offered spaces for workshops and art exhibitions, a ground level café, and an above-ground rooftop for live music performances and parties. Jupiter's cultural shopping center position was bolstered by the "Frei_Fläche" funding, which included4:

• Landlords were financially reimbursed for additional and ongoing expenses
• Space users only paid 1.50 euros per square meter in rent
• Funding was provided for projects through renovations and advertising

According to the Hamburg finance authority, multiple millions of euros were pumped into the entire "Frei_Fläche" project at various locations4.

Maximum Capacity of 200 Visitors Recently

Though Jupiter has presented many highlights during its three years of operation, it has faced worsening issues in recent weeks. A series of structural problems led to visitor limits being imposed, allowing only up to 200 people at any given time.

Although certain Frei_Fläche-funded projects will persist privately, like in the Springer Quarter, the location within the old Karstadt structure is no longer in the picture.

1. The community policy of Jupiter, with its affordable spaces for artists and creators, fostered a unique blend of employment opportunities and creative expression in Hamburg.
2. Despite being initially planned for only eight months, the employment policy at Jupiter, bolstered by the Frei_Fläche funding program, extended its operation for three years.
3. The closure of Jupiter on April 30 will leave a void in the retail industry of Hamburg, particularly in the fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, and small-business sectors.
4. Entrepreneurship thrived at Jupiter, offering deals-and-discounts, shopping, and home-and-garden solutions under one roof, all while promoting a vibrant lifestyle.
5. Katja Ellwart, an entrepreneur whose clothing resale store "homie" was situated at Jupiter, expressed her reminiscent fondness for the diverse community the shopping center fostered.
6. The closing of Jupiter marks the end of a creative chapter in Hamburg, as it was the only shopping center of its kind that bridged the emptiness left by the antiquated Karstadt department store.
7. The finance authority provided substantial funding for the Frei_Fläche project, ensuring landlords were reimbursed for additional and ongoing expenses, and space users paid significantly lowered rents.
8. Jupiter's employment policy had a positive impact on the local creative industries, offering workshops, art exhibitions, and providing funding for projects through renovations and advertising.
9. The liveliness and diversity that Jupiter brought to Hamburg's downtown area, particularly Mönckebergstraße, will be missed, as it served as a shining example of what creative employment policies can accomplish within a community.

Read also: