Fabryka Trzciny
Author: Anothertravelguide.com0 COMMENTS
The early bird in the transformation of now fashionable Praga borough was Fabryka Trzciny. Opening in 2003, it was the first non-governmental cultural centre in the city. Wojciech Trzciński, a well-known composer, musician and TV producer, was its creator. Like the Koneser, Fabryka Trzciny is a former factory. Built in 1916, it manufactured marmalade and later the popular Polish gym shoes known as pepegi. The industrial atmosphere remains; knots of pipes and ventilators have not been removed. The owner tells us that everybody thought he was crazy to try to start something in Praga... but the move is now seen as the thing to do.
One of the gems at Fabryka Trzciny is the bar and concert hall Denaturat, where Cesária Évora once performed. The bar itself is a gigantic metal pipe, and one of the walls is lined with 4000 turpentine bottles. They don't actually contain turpentine, we are told, but in the violet light of evening this place is a performance in of itself. The Fabryka Trzciny hosts exhibits, concerts, performances, photo sessions, music festivals, and the University of Free Time. This last is a project created by people who have nothing to do with official Polish educational institutions. The idea is to create a completely new and free form of culture, art, entertainment and education - a platform for spending free time with a kind of constructive awareness. The factory also takes a contemporary approach to Polish cuisine in a quaint green wooden building, with the ambience of a home kitchen.
14, ul. Otwocka
www.fabrykatrzciny.pl
Posted February, 2010