The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) is now back in the heart of Krefeld's city center. On Wednesday, the Future Work Lab was officially opened in the Behnisch-Haus at Petersstraße 120. It is planned as a real laboratory that is open as a working and meeting space for employees, students and partners. In future, events such as lectures and exhibitions will be held there. Students can use the rooms for studying, while lecturers can use them for seminars or meetings. The Future Work Lab is now also the first, centrally located point of contact for interested members of the public when it comes to The Hochschule Niederrhein. The HSNR's International Office has been working in the new premises since the beginning of February.

"Thanks to the new Future Work Lab, we are finally back in the heart of Krefeld city center. By establishing this new meeting place, we are linking student recruitment with the dialog between science, business and urban society," says University President Dr. Thomas Grünewald, adding: "Everyone is cordially invited to come and talk to The Hochschule Niederrhein."

The opening of the Future Work Lab in the store premises of the former Bistro Schlösser closes a circle for the Hochschule Niederrhein: back in 1903, the skilled trades and arts and crafts school, a predecessor of today's Hochschule Niederrhein, moved into a building on Petersstraße - practically next door to today's Future Work Lab. In 2007, the Petersstraße location was finally abandoned and the Faculty of Design moved to Frankenring. Almost 20 years later, the university has now returned to the heart of Krefeld.

The rented store premises were renovated at a cost of around 650,000 euros. The money came from funding from the Ministry of Culture and Science of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The university's own Planning and Construction department was responsible for planning the premises and interior design of the Future Work Lab.