© Pictures: Jan-Eric Rauch
On 26 September 2026, the rooftop of the N2 parking garage in Mannheim’s city centre became much more than a place for cars. Organised by the City of Mannheim together with over and odd, and supported by MultiRoofs, the third edition of the rooftop festival “OBENDRAUF & ZWISCHENDRIN” temporarily transformed the parking deck into a lively urban space for culture, creativity, participation and exchange.
Together with various local partners, initiatives and cultural actors, the festival invited visitors to experience first-hand how existing rooftops can take on new functions and contribute to more attractive and multifunctional city centres.
Discovering Mannheim from a New Perspective
This idea of experiencing the city differently was at the heart of the day. Mannheim’s Mayor Thorsten Riehleofficially opened the event, kicking off a programme that combined discussions about the future of urban rooftops with hands-on activities, recreation and culture. Visitors were encouraged not only to discover the rooftop as an unusual urban space, but also to reflect on the role these often-underused surfaces could play in the city of tomorrow.
One of the places where this conversation came to life was the interactive “Rooftop Lab”, organised with the Mannheim Chamber Group of the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects. Focusing on the future of the so-called “fifth façade”, the lab brought experts and interested citizens together to explore the many ways existing rooftops could be transformed and put to better use.
The discussions highlighted opportunities ranging from climate adaptation and biodiversity to renewable energy and social interaction. At the same time, the wider festival programme showed that rooftop transformation does not have to remain an abstract planning concept: visitors could take part in upcycling and recycling workshops, enjoy cultural activities, or simply experience the parking deck as an open and welcoming urban space.
This combination of discussion, experimentation and direct experience reflects one of the central ideas behind MultiRoofs: rooftops are valuable urban spaces whose potential can extend far beyond their traditional function. In a dense city such as Mannheim, rethinking these spaces can open up new possibilities for a more resilient, attractive and multifunctional urban environment.
Putting the MultiRoofs Vision into Practice
Beyond the activities themselves, “OBENDRAUF & ZWISCHENDRIN” offered a concrete illustration of what MultiRoofs is working towards. By temporarily transforming an existing parking deck, the festival showed that the conversation around multifunctional rooftops can move beyond plans and concepts and become something people can see, experience and discuss together.
This is precisely where the event connects with MultiRoofs. The project explores how underused rooftops can become valuable parts of the urban environment, responding to different needs. The festival brought some of these possibilities into the public space, creating an opportunity for experts, local stakeholders and citizens to exchange ideas and imagine what rooftops could become.
For Mannheim, this dialogue is particularly important. As one of the MultiRoofs pilot cities, Mannheim is exploring new approaches to rooftop use while working closely with property owners, citizens and local stakeholders. Events such as the rooftop festival can support this process by raising awareness, opening conversations and making the potential of rooftop transformation more tangible.
The festival offered a fresh perspective on familiar urban spaces, showing how a parking deck can become a place for meeting, experimenting and sharing. For one day, the N2 parking garage gave a glimpse of what is possible when we look upwards and see rooftops as valuable spaces for a more resilient, multifunctional and liveable city.