Fabra i Coats Creation Factory

Fabra i Coats, located in the Sant Andreu district of Barcelona, ​​is an exceptional example of how an industrial structure can be transformed into a vibrant cultural center. Originally a 19th-century yarn and fabric factory, this complex was a reference point for the Catalan textile industry and local employment. Fabra i Coats, once a symbol of industrial power, is now a creative laboratory that embraces various artistic disciplines, from music to visual arts, from dance to theater. The history of Fabra i Coats began in 1839, when the Fabra company was founded by Ferran Puig i Gibert. In 1903, the merger with the British J&P Coats created one of the largest textile industrial complexes in Catalonia, destined to become a pillar of the local economy. The factory, designed following the model of Manchester factories, was at the forefront for the time both in architectural and technological terms.Throughout the 20th century, Fabra i Coats experienced various phases of expansion and crisis, reflecting the fluctuations of the textile sector. The definitive closure of production activities in the 1980s marked the beginning of a period of abandonment, but also the possibility of a new life for the complex. In the 1990s, the city of Barcelona initiated a project to recover and convert the factory into a multifunctional cultural center.The rebirth of Fabra i Coats as “Fàbrica de Creació” was formalized in 2012. Today, the center is a melting pot of creativity and innovation, hosting over a hundred artistic projects in residence. The facility offers spaces for production, research, and exhibition, providing artists with a stimulating environment and all the necessary resources to develop their ideas. Rehearsal rooms, laboratories, exhibition spaces, and coworking areas are just some of the resources available. An interesting anecdote concerns the selection of artistic projects hosted in the center. Every year, Fabra i Coats opens calls for artistic residencies that attract hundreds of applications from around the world. This selective process ensures that only the most innovative and relevant projects find space in the center, maintaining the high quality of the proposed initiatives.