It has become commonplace for art and culture to play a distinctive role in the context of international building exhibitions. With the objective of reaching a well-balanced and sustainable handling of art, culture and creativity, the IBA Hamburg has decided to test unconventional, open-ended formats. With its project "Creative quarter Elbinsel", the IBA Hamburg aims to support and establish artistic and creative structures on the Elbe Islands that will continue to exist even after the IBA timeframe. This publication shows concrete projects and results while also pointing out ways of looking at problems within the continued development of the "Creative Quarter Elbinsel" in the period 2008-2010. In doing so, it not only showcases projects that have been developed in the last few years, but also allows experts to present thought-provoking contributions that critically question the theoretical and strategic alignment of the IBA concept with respect to its structural efficacy and vis-a-vis similar formats.