Literally, the Bridge Lab considers itself a bridge between disciplines, experiences, ideas and more.
The equipment, ranging from paper, scissors and glue to Lego and digital tools, and the lounge-like atmosphere create the impression of a well-equipped craft and playroom. However, there is a didactic concept behind it. ‘It’s more than just craft supplies and computers, that’s it,’ confirms Silke Gehrmann-Becker, who initiated the Bridge Lab together with Dr Caroline Breidenbach. The setting is deliberately designed to be different from the usual lecture hall. ‘We wanted to create an atmosphere where you can just drop by and let yourself flow. The Bridge Lab offers space for up to 25 people to be creative together.
Students should be encouraged to express themselves, share insights and be open to criticism from fellow students. Silke Gehrmann-Becker drops the buzzword “employability”: “Interdisciplinary competence is crucial in the world of work. Students at the Faculty of K & U are introduced to the topic through participation in interdisciplinary projects during the winter semester, among other things.‘ The Bridge Lab is another tool to support students in developing self-efficacy.
’The digital world offers great opportunities, but is developing into a self-circulating system, similar to AI. We want to break through this system; inspiration can also be found outside of Insta, TikTok and Pinterest.’
The aim is to gently encourage students to leave their personal bubble. ‘We motivate students to think outside the box and realise that solutions and support do not necessarily come from outside, but are available here at the university,’ adds Denis Malinko, a member of staff at the Bridge Lab.
Dr Caroline Breidenbach, Silke Gehrmann Becker and Denis Malinko have five months of diverse formats under their belts: workshops designed specifically for the Bridge Lab were offered, such as coding and patterns in music, the Students Garden Meetings and working with Figma. Spontaneous breakout sessions between teachers and students were also made possible. Students provided the impetus for a two-day stop-motion workshop with self-made clay objects. A highlight for everyone involved was the ‘mycelium studio’ exhibition in January 2026, which arose from an interdisciplinary project.
In line with the motto ‘open doors, open minds’, the doors of the Bridge Lab will be open even more frequently than before at the start of the summer semester. Teachers can book the room via Outlook, and students can contact the Bridge Lab team.