Citizens' idea becomes reality: New meeting place for the neighborhood

Square in Spiegelgasse redesigned

Between the Drei-Lilien-Quelle and Spiegelgasse, a private initiative with municipal support has created an attractive place to spend time in a formerly unsightly area. It is to become a new meeting place for citizens; the residents want to use it regularly.

The idea to redesign the square was born in August 2023. Natalie Thust, owner of the Hotel Drei Lilien in Spiegelgasse, and Michael Müller from the planning office Stilbruch United Designers were annoyed by the unkempt, nameless area in front of the hotel, not far from Kochbrunnenplatz and the Hessian State Chancellery. The image was dominated by garbage cans, glass containers and parked cars, which also attracted "wild pissers". The aim of the two was to transform the area into an attractive square with a terrace and outdoor seating.

From concept to implementation: citizens' idea becomes reality

After Thust and Müller had measured the area and documented its condition, they developed a concept for its redesign. They presented this to the city's "Public Space" working group. From there, the project took off. This was followed by discussions with the relevant offices and institutions such as the civil engineering office, property office, local advisory council and city management.

At the beginning of 2024, the Mitte local advisory council unanimously approved the concept. The waste garbage cans were subsequently moved to the waste room of the adjacent "Naspa-Stiftung" foundation, with which a usage agreement was concluded. The five glass containers were moved to another location in agreement with the waste disposal companies. The cars are now parked on the other side of the street.

A licensing agreement between the city and Natalie Thust made it possible for the project to be included in the federal funding program "Zukunftsfähige Innenstädte und Zentren" (ZIZ) via the city management. This meant that public funds could be used in addition to private funding.

After 80 years, a dingy corner has been transformed into a beautiful inner-city meeting place. This is a cause for celebration for everyone involved.

Mayor Christiane Hinninger / Andreas Kowol, Head of the Building and Transport Department

A non-place becomes a feel-good place

Construction work on the redesign began in April 2025 and was completed in November with the delivery of plants and furniture. The new square was officially handed over to the people of Wiesbaden on November 29.

As a result of the redesign, the formerly unsightly place has become a pretty, feel-good place and is no longer recognizable. A pavilion stands on a weatherproof terrace made of artificial wood flooring. Chic umbrellas stretch across the cozy seating areas. Large and small yew trees surround the ensemble together with a beautiful, high-quality fence.

The commercial neighbors, in addition to the foundation and the Hotel Drei Lilien, the Aktives Museum Spiegelgasse, "Chez Mamie", the Theater im Pariser Hof, the Town-Hotel and the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache are happy to be involved in the project. They are making sure that the square remains as beautiful as it is and want to keep it busy in the future.