• The Aachen City Council instructs the administration to pursue the "House of Curiosity" project further and to concretize the existing concept.
• The former Haus Horten is to become a center of attraction for the city community and will house the adult education center and city library, among other things.
• The city of Aachen is assuming investment costs of around 100 million euros. With the purchase of Haus Horten, it is acquiring a largely developed plan for a house of curiosity.

A spirit of optimism is in the air as the Aachen City Council commissions the administration to pursue the "Haus der Neugier" project and concretize the existing concept at its meeting on 5 February. The former Horten department store and later Lust for Life on Komphausbadstrasse is to be purchased by the city of Aachen after a long period of vacancy and developed into a so-called "third place".

The focus is on urban society

The aim is to create a public, freely accessible place that invites people to linger, exchange ideas and get involved. A meeting place where everyone is welcome, whether they are interested in education or not, "a place of diversity, where people and topics are brought together, a place of inspiration, learning, experience and community. It is a building that focuses on urban society, where knowledge transfer is fun and where the content is tailored to the needs of the visitors," according to the feasibility study, which was published in October 2023. Instead of closed rooms and institutions, the House of Curiosity should offer open "fields" where people can debate, work, play and learn, where cultural exchange takes place or where people can simply meet and get curious.

"I am delighted that all six parliamentary groups have cleared the way for the Haus der Neugier - a place for encounters, engagement and innovation. With the House of Curiosity, we are providing a decisive impetus for the development of the Büchel and Bushof district and investing in a vibrant, creative and forward-looking city center," says Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen.

Since summer 2022, the city of Aachen has been working intensively on the development of such a place as a House of Curiosity, which will also house the adult education center and city library, among other things. In addition to an attractive media offering for all generations, cultural, political and scientific events, exhibitions, lectures, courses and workshops at many levels and in different languages are planned.

City acquires largely completed plans for a house of curiosity

With the former Horten department store, the city of Aachen is also taking over a largely developed plan for a house of curiosity. Investment costs of around 100 million euros have been calculated with follow-up costs (taking into account ancillary and maintenance costs) of around 7.7 million euros per year. Renting and leasing space can reduce the follow-up costs accordingly. A new location would have had to be found in the foreseeable future for the parts of the VHS currently still located in the bus depot due to the existing need for renovation in the building. The abandonment of the current locations of the municipal library and adult education center will result in savings in rental and renovation costs.

Council resolution in principle 2024

With its decision in principle in April 2024, the council had already set an important urban planning course for the area between Büchel and Bushof as a whole and commissioned the administration to prepare the development around the Bushof into a new residential area in the city center. This was preceded by extensive debates in urban society and politics as well as visits to cities with comparable projects. Various possible locations had also been examined.

More info:

https://ratsinfo.aachen.de/public/to010?SILFDNR=1000102