A new multi-purpose space has opened in Prague’s Holešovice district. As the name Továrna indicates, the space at Dělnická 63 used to be a factory. Now it is used by a number of groups of people, and different areas serve as a bar and cafe, motorcycle workshop, small cinema, barber shop, silk screen print shop, artists’ studios and a recycling workshop.
Molds for car parts used to be made there, but the place has long been derelict. “Wire and pipes had been stripped out and sold by homeless people for scrap, leaving gaping holes in the floor,” said Mark Bliss, a member of one of the groups that now uses the space.
The property isn’t exactly abandoned. It is owned by an Italian real estate firm, but the current economics make it difficult to develop the space profitably due to current height restrictions for new constructions. So the shell of the factory has been sitting in limbo, until now.
Mark Bliss said the real estate firm is letting them use the former factory under favorable terms. Some eight groups are involved in Továrna, and each has put in its own funds and its own labor to get the space into a usable condition. “When I first saw the space I was shocked,” he said. Still, it was a good location and had a lot of promise.
Bliss pointed out areas of newly poured concrete in the floor and other renovations. Work to upgrade the space took over three months, including cleaning out waste left behind by squatters and drug addicts who had been illegally using the area.
Bliss is with a group called Custom Culture Club that customizes motorcycles, and fittingly the first event at the space was an exhibition of customized bikes called the All Ride Moto Show. Originally, a local artist was supposed to have the first show, but backed out at the last minute. Bliss and his group were eager to jump in to fill the opening slot. One area of the large former factory will be used for motorcycle customization. A barber was in operation in one of the rooms, some artists were selling prints and there was a hipster fashion designer offering his line of retro clothing.
The motorcycle show was only for the opening weekend and is already over. The next scheduled event will be a Christmas market that provides a showcase for local vendors and way for them to make contact with local customers. The bar and cafe will also be open on a daily basis starting in November.
Another group involved in the collective, Film Pool, deals with film production. Amálie Kovářová will be using part of the space to show film every Thursday. “I want to show films that I am interested in seeing myself,” she said. Cinema seats with wireless headphones have been installed on the side of the main open space.
In addition, once each month there will be workshops on recycling by another group using the space. On the upper levels, out of public view, are some artists’ studios.
The main space can also be rented for events, but not all-night techno parties as the Továrna is in a residential area and seeks to be a good neighbor that helps to bring local people together.
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