The city of Milan, like most western cities, is going
through an important phase of economic, social and cultural change. This is a
non-traumatic but definitely radical change.
The great industrial zones that surrounded the big cities like Milan and
Barcelona, up to about ten years ago, with the small and medium sized companies
that complemented their production, have shut down as a consequence of
technological progress and changed market needs or have moved to other areas.
The areas that have been freed from this type of use are
located in semi-central areas of the city, generally close to the public transport network. In
these areas are located factories that are used with new functions, equipment centers
for the city: if in Barcelona a good example of this is the ancient Alchemika
factory, now converted into a library, an infantil nursery school and a residence
for elderly people; in Milan there is the Factory of Steam (La Fabbrica del Vapore)
a large youth centre for artistic production and exposition.
In
November 1985 the city council of the time drew up an agreement with the
company Procaccini, within a subdivision plan that provided for the transfer of
the entire area to the City and the demolition of some of the buildings. Over
the years ideas for the use of the area have taken various directions.
Following the study carried out to identify new spaces to
be used for activities for young people, the city council decided to modify the
original agreement by organising the area and original buildings in such a way
as to safeguard the basic architectural appearance, believed to be a precious
example of industrial technology and allow the creation of a large youth centre
for artistic production. What
it wanted was to reclaim the abandoned industrial area situated in a central
zone of the city, to create a centre for young people where they can test out
their ideas and abilities in contact with business operators and experts from
the various categories of cultural production.
Talking
about the Factory of Steam we can also see a great similarity with the Hangar of
Can Ricart because it has more or less the same function!
The
reclamation of the buildings of the Factory of Steam takes into account the
basic need to create extremely adaptable, flexible places that are suitable for
the different functions. The overall surface area is about 30,000 square metres
while the gross surface area of the buildings is about 14,000 square meters (7,000
square meters of this has been set aside for the activities planned for
laboratories; and 7,000 to exhibition activities, shows, catering and
additional services). It was decided to divide the spaces on the basis of
completely self-sufficient, small sections defined as "workshop
module". The around 90 modules were created on the basis of the large
existing windows, and are 32 or 40 square meters and have been connected to the
centre systems (water, drainage, electricity, telephone and data
communication). The activities that take place inside The Steam Factory may use
one or more modules.
A significant
difference is that the Alchemika factory has undergone an almost complete
reconstruction and very little remains of the old factory: we can see only the
perimeter wall of brick of the original building and all the rest is completely
new. On the other side The Steam Factory has maintained the shape and the
structure of the old factory.
Both buildings are located on the corner of their districts and each one represents an important point of interest for the citizens.
Both buildings are located on the corner of their districts and each one represents an important point of interest for the citizens.
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| the Alchemika factory |
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| the Factory of Steam |
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| the original structure of the Factory of Steam |
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the original structure of the Factory of Steam
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the perimeter wall of brick of the Alchemika factory
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