HISTORICALLY, THE WASH HOUSE WAS MORE THAN JUST A PLACE TO CLEAN YOUR CLOTHES. IT WAS ALSO A PUBLIC PLACE FOR MANY WOMEN TO MEET, TALK, EXCHANGE IDEAS AND MOST CERTAINLY GOSSIP. THESE DEEPLY FEMININE PLACES SLOWLY DISAPPEARED OR WERE RENDERED OBSOLETE AS THEY GOT REPLACED BY DOMESTIC WASHING MACHINES.

IN A NUTSHELL, THE ‘waschbar’ PROJECT AIMS TO BRING BACK THE PUBLIC MEETING SPACE COMPONENT OF THIS WASH HOUSE IN DIFFERDANGE BY INTRODUCING A NEW STORY OF THE MANY WAYS THIS PLACE CAN BE USED FROM NOW ON.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANT TO PRESERVE THE NOTION OF GOING TO THE WASH HOUSE TO ENGAGE IN A TASK WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND MONEY. THEREFORE, THE BAR OF THE ‘waschbar’ CONSCIOUSLY CONSISTS OF ONLY A TYPICAL SOFT DRINK VENDING MACHINE FOR CONVENIENCE, AS THIS PLACE DOES NOT WANT TO IMPLEMENT ANY OBLIGATION TO THE VISITOR TO CONSUME, TO BE ALLOWED TO STAY AND SOCIALIZE. ‘BYOB’ (BRING YOUR OWN BEVERAGE) IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.

WE WANT TO REOPEN THE WASH HOUSE AND INTRODUCE SIMPLE URBAN FURNITURE BUILD BY LOCAL VOLUNTEERS, MADE OF REPURPOSED FURNITURE, WOOD OR WOODEN PALETTES INSTALLED ON THE EXTERIOR PLACE IN FRONT OF THE WASH HOUSE AND ON THE FLAT ROOFTOP. THE LAYOUT SHOULD RECREATE A WELCOMING SPACE TO COMPLETE THE CONCEPT OF INVITING PEOPLE BACK TO THE WASH HOUSE TO CHILL OUT, RELAX AND LOUNGE INSTEAD OF WASHING CLOTHES.