Werkschau Thuringia wins the 2025 ideas competition

Gold for the "Werkschau Thüringen", silver for "VIVANTIA" and bronze for "Spielend begegnen" - these ideas were awarded prizes at this year's StadtLab ideas competition on Tuesday evening. A jury of experts from the city, companies and the start-up scene selected the three most successful ideas from a total of more than 20 creative concepts and ultimately twelve finalists. The "Sports Tech Factory" project received the audience award, which the Jena public was able to vote for online and offline in advance.

This year's competition revolved around Jena's Ratszeise. StadtLab Jena had called for future-oriented visions for a possible use. These project ideas had been further developed in various workshops over the past few months and finally presented to a jury of experts. The concepts were diverse: from a games meeting place to a gallery space for local art, from an unusual vacation apartment to a gaming corner, from an architecture exhibition to a new sports venue in the city center.

"We were delighted with this colorful range of ideas," summarized StadtLab project manager Grit Sachse. "Above all, we were impressed by the passion and remarkable commitment of the participants - after all, all those who submitted ideas invested a lot of free time to take part in the workshops and hone their concepts through mutual exchange." She is delighted for the winners, but also for the courage of everyone who took part in the competition. "We have seen how much this place is close to the hearts of the people of Jena and how great the desire is to help shape the Ratszeise."

1st place: Bringing craftsmanship and design diversity to life

First-placed participant Adrian Seeber set out to focus not only on the city of Jena, but also on the entire federal state. With his "Werkschau Thüringen" concept, he wants to bring the diversity of craftsmanship and design in the state to life. He wants to present projects "made in Thuringia" in the Ratszeise - from furniture and porcelain to textiles and modern design objects.

"My 'Werkschau' sees itself as a showcase for quality, attitude and origin," says the Erfurt entrepreneur. "In changing exhibitions and together with the Thuringian creative industry, we want to create a lively place that enables encounters and inspiration." The aim is to make regional craftsmanship visible and at the same time show how authentic and innovative Thuringia is.

2nd place: Hybrid cultural space to slow down

The concept that was awarded second place in the ideas competition is intended to have an authentic and decelerating effect: The "VIVANTIA" idea by Jena artist Elena Efa. She wants to create a hybrid cultural space in the Ratszeise - a mixture of café, workshop, stage, studio and concept store.

"People can drink coffee, design, restore, paint or exchange ideas here," says Efa, describing the "VIVANTIA" approach.

Her aim is to fill the center of the city with community, craftsmanship and warmth again - in a shared atmosphere.

3rd place: Living room for everyone

Anne Andrees and her idea "Spielend begegnen", which was awarded the "Bronze Medal" in the 2025 Ideas Competition, is also about togetherness. She envisions the Ratszeise as a "living room for everyone" where people can interact with each other in a playful way. This concept is already working very well in the Jena games café "Tillis", where Andrees already works as Managing Director.

"Board games bring people together - regardless of age, origin or previous experience - and promote dialog and a change of perspective. "Our concept is designed to facilitate encounters," says Andrees. "In addition to classic games, we also want to offer workshops and city rallies as well as tournaments and seasonal markets."

There will also be a light gastronomic offering and a feel-good atmosphere. For Anne Andrees, this will turn the Ratszeise into an inclusive place for culture, fun and encounters.

Audience award

The Audience Award is also about encounters. In the end, the winning project was able to gather an impressive 3,800 votes: the "Sports Tech Factory" by Philipp Zacher. The "Sports Factory" is intended to turn the Ratszeise into an open place for exercise, education and community. "We have designed offers ranging from yoga and Pilates to cycling and breathwork to darts, billiards and table tennis," says Zacher, who has already founded the company "Coachwhisperer" and is active as a state spokesperson for the Thuringia Start-Up Association. The idea provider could also imagine learning formats such as workshops and an on-site café and bar area.

Prize money

The winners also received prize money in the evening, which can now be used to implement their ideas. First to third place received 1,000, 750 and 500 euros respectively; the audience award received 250 euros in recognition. All prize winners will also be given the opportunity to try out their projects in the StadtLab am Markt next year. Grit Sachse and the entire StadtLab team hope that as many participants as possible will enrich Jena's city center with their submitted ideas in the future, regardless of their ranking.