Hackerspacing In Europe: The Garage Lab In Düsseldorf

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The Garage Lab (translated) is a small hackerspace quite close to the Chaosdorf. As the name implies, it exists in a garage complex — each unit has a garage and an upstairs office. The Garage Lab shares their unit with a co-working space upstairs — basically, they get the garage at all the times, but only the upstairs on the weekend when it is empty.

It’s been around for about 2 years and has about 40 members (~20 of which are active). To be a member it is quite cheap, only €15/month or €10/month if you are a student. They mostly focus on 3D printing and electronics.

The space has several 3D printers, a large work area, and many hand tools. They run CAD classes quite often and are hoping to expand with 3D printing classes and other technical lectures. Our guide was a cool guy named [Axel] who works as a 3D designer at his own company, but loves spreading 3D printing knowledge with the world.

Check out the tour gallery!

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This is the entrance to the lab – no real sign, but a friendly German directed us when we were looking rather lost.

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Immediately inside is the main garage area are workbenches and hand tools that have mostly been donated by the members.

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The next room is covered in shelves and lockers filled with projects.

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It’s not that big of a space, but for the number of members it suits them quite well.

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The resident RepRap printer!

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A recent 3D printing project — home-made Oculus Rift goggles!

All in all it was a very cool space, with some very friendly hackers — If we lived in Dusseldorf it would definitely be a place to call home! They are hoping to expand but are having some difficulties getting funding and proper publicity — so if you have any advice, leave it here in the comments!

Next up, ACKspace in Heerlan, The Netherlands!

6 thoughts on “Hackerspacing In Europe: The Garage Lab In Düsseldorf

  1. I’m liking the tour so far. I wouldn’t have expected to find a hackerspace in a garage unit like this. It’s a shame that there aren’t any hackerspaces closer to my home (Alkmaar area, the Netherlands), at least as far as I know. Would love to learn new things in a place like that.
    By the way, I don’t want to be ‘that’ guy. But it’s Heerlen, not Heerlan.

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