Between 23 and 25 April 2026, a youth-led workshop transformed a corner of central Mistelbach into a new public gathering space. Organised by youth advisors Mika, Niki, and Laura in cooperation with Wonderland (Platform for European Architecture), youbest, and the city of Mistelbach, the three-day intervention was part of the broader SPACE programme and built on methods introduced at an international training in Deventer, where advisors explored participatory place-making and exchanged experiences with youth representatives from six countries.
The first two days were dedicated to upcycling. Laura facilitated a textile workshop where participants used donated fabrics to sew cushion covers for outdoor seating. Simultaneously, Niki and Mika worked with young people from the You:best youth centre on constructing furniture from donated euro palettes. On the second day, the completed pieces were brought to the site. Local youth were consulted directly on placement, and together the group sanded, painted, and finished the furniture, with participants taking an active role throughout.
The third day brought the most visible element of the project: a large-scale mural created in collaboration with artists from Calle Libre, a Vienna-based street art collective. The day began with an automatic writing exercise in which approximately 15 young participants and two parents wrote freely about Mistelbach, what they value, what they wish for, and what they feel is missing. From the ideas gathered, two words emerged as most resonant: Connect and Act. These became the foundation of the mural, with small groups of youth each painting one letter alongside the Calle Libre artists.
The three days concluded with a collective pizza party, the first event held in the newly created space.
The workshop also produced a clear finding for future planning: Mistelbach needs more permanent, weather-protected public spaces for young people in or near the town centre, particularly for those commuting between school, transport, and leisure.
