The Cotton Factory was the largest cotton processing plant in Romania. Established in the interwar period, the factory was located somewhere on the outskirts of Bucharest, on the banks of Dâmbovița, downstream from the city.

During the socialist period, the industrial complex developed in several stages, becoming in the late 1970s, the largest producer of cotton textiles. The platform was equipped with the industrial facilities needed for all stages of processing - from the cotton flower, to yarn, to fabrics and dyeing. In 1990, the factory was privatized and continued the production of cotton textiles. In the next 10 years, amid a national financial crisis, but especially due to the general decline of the Romanian textile industry, the factory steadily decreased production and was forced to close completely in the early 2000s. Subsequently, the company focused on renting the former production halls, as storage space, to various private companies, regardless of their object of activity.

In 2009, as a result of the lack of investments, interior partitions and renting to multiple entities such as car services, shoe factories, toilet paper storage facilities, etc., the halls in the Cotton Factory are in an advanced state of degradation, the production spaces once full of activity, airy and bright, are now, either in poor condition, unused or used below their potential. It seems that the only solution would be to demolish the industrial buildings and build a modern business center.

In 2010, Bucharest is enriched with an alternative space for ideas and projects with creative potential. This space, opened in a former cotton spinning mill, is suggestively called Atelierul de producție (the Production Workshop). The project includes a contemporary art gallery, a workshop for artistic production and a space for public events.

In the cultural context of the moment, the Atelierul de Producție quickly becomes the main unconventional space dedicated to cultural events, being a conversion projects that successfully reintegrates the industrial environment – the former spinning mill of the Cotton Factory – into the artistic life of Bucharest.

The space is intended to be a place for combining contemporary arts and artistic expressions, being a happy mix between an unconventional space for exhibitions and events and also a place of experiments, thus aiming to support Romanian contemporary art.

The event was conceived as a preview of the official opening of the Romanian Pavilion in Venice. The imprint of the pavilion to be built in Venice was represented in black, on a 1: 1 scale on the floor of the Cotton Industry, and the idea of the pavilion was illustrated by the artist Dan Perjovschi in a series of drawings displayed on the perimeter. The demarcated surface of 94.4 m2 also represents the density of Bucharest in 2010. In abstract, to each inhabitant of the city this area belonging to him. During this event, 3 artistic performances took place: Paul Dunca, Ioana Ciocan and Marina Albu.

From 2011 onwards, in addition to the art gallery, the project is also developing as a host space for large events and parties. This space, opened in a former cotton spinning mill, is suggestively called Atelierul de producție (the Production Workshop). The project includes a contemporary art gallery, a workshop for artistic production and a space for public events.

In the cultural context of the moment, the Atelierul de Producție quickly becomes the main unconventional space dedicated to cultural events, being a conversion projects that successfully reintegrates the industrial environment – the former spinning mill of the Cotton Factory – into the artistic life of Bucharest.

The space is intended to be a place for combining contemporary arts and artistic expressions, being a happy mix between an unconventional space for exhibitions and events and also a place of experiments, thus aiming to support Romanian contemporary art.

In 2015, a multidisciplinary group of creatives decided to transform an abandoned industrial space of the former Cotton Factory in Bucharest into the first makerspace in Romania. After 6 months of work, with the help of 25 people and 9 private partners, the 650 m² were ready to host makers and entrepreneurs in the creative industries who needed a space and a community for their passion. The industrial space has once again become full of life and an important hotspot for the creative industries in Bucharest.

In 2016, Nod expands to 1050 m². Official visits from the technocratic government, the European Commission and other public figures, along with awards such as the Central European Start-Up Awards, Best Co-working of the Year marked the recognition of Nod Makerspace as a pioneer in the local object design market. Thus, they created the favorable premises to develop into a real center for creative industries.

Deschis Gastrobar was inaugurated in the spring of 2015, simultaneously with Nod Makerspace, in a joint effort of urban regeneration: one having the role of hosting a growing creative community, and the acting as an attractor for the general public that is interested to rediscover the potential conversion of the former cotton factory into a vibrant place within the neighborhood and city.

The outdoor space functions as a panoramic bar, but also as a platform for different sized events, thanks to a flexible layout that includes a series of reconfigurable tables. They are inspired by a geometric puzzle invented by mathematician Henry Dudeney. Also, every Thursday of the week, the space turns into an open-air cinema that attracts a large number of young people.

The general silhouette of the shading structure doubles its weather protection utility with a secondary function, as visual landmark for the entire ensemble, suggesting the abstracted / playful shape of a factory.

Bucharest can become the East European center for creative industries – a fact proved within the first edition of the Creative East festival, held between October 12 and 18. 25 Romanian and international speakers, 70 local businesses in design, fashion, technology, gastronomy or music and 3000 supporters for creativity took part in the creative industries festival.

The former hall of the Cotton Factory was the place where the curious public got acquainted with the most innovative local projects. Almost 3000 Bucharest residents spent the weekend discovering and buying unique products, created by Romanian designers. The space hosted workshops for families and artisanal gastronomic experiments – a manifesto and a first step towards an alternative economic ecosystem that focuses on small, talented producers. The workshops within the festival brought together 360 artists and creative business managers together with the best trainers in the field.

48 businesses entered the Get in The Ring Romania competition, 2 of them won: 1st Prize - Skeptik Dog, animation studio. Prize 2 - Madam Mitza - socks manufacturer.

Leea Toys arose from a parent's passion to create the most attractive and suitable objects for his child; play objects meant to teach children about their surroundings and to offer them exploration and movement opportunities. The result was beyond expectations, and now Leea Toys made it their mission to share these ideas with as many children as possible.

Shortly after the opening of Nod makerspace, Dan Popa together with Sorin Chirica started prototyping children's toys, in the workshops of the makerspace. Dan, an entrepreneur and new dad, had several toy ideas, all designed for his little girl. Within the makerspace, they have been refined to the point where they have become commercial products. Soon, due to the need for additional space, the workshop moved to the ground floor of the Cotton Factory, where the two founders continued the prototyping, production and sale of toys.

Meanwhile, the production division has moved to the Republic of Moldova, leaving the Cotton Factory in 2018. Leea Toys continues to develop product design for smart play.

Opened in 2016, by winning a call for projects competition and further attracting sponsorships from private companies, La Firul Ierbii works as tool for connecting the creative community, residing in the Cotton Factory, with the inhabitants of the city.

La Firul Ierbii is a multipurpose community centre and work space that has the ability to constantly reinvent itself in accordance to the hosted events’ needs, easily adapting to the various requirements of its users and creating an accessible, inclusive atmosphere. La Firul Ierbii has hosted countless events and workshops addressing social innovation, inclusive design, art, community issues, workshops and various courses. All this was organized by neighbors, NGOs, civic activists, artists and private companies.

The project received the first prize for "The best architectural reconversion" from the Bucharest Architecture Annual in 2017.

Since March 2020, under the auspices of the drastic limitation of social activities, La Firul Ierbii has suspended indefinitely the hosting of events, developing as an alternative the destination of work space.

LUCRU was a step up for the Tegmark duo, when moving 4 years ago from Casa Lucru to a bigger and fresh space at Industria Bumbacului. The adaptation meant freeing up the place completely, and filling it up with the bare minimum for work.

Tegmark is an architectural visualisation studio, where talented young people illustrate possible and probable realities, envisioned by architects worldwide. Tegmark is getting ready for its upcoming 10th birthday, while still producing its best images yet.

Deschis Gastrobar, opened a year before, on the roof of the former cotton spinning mill, is now extended into the interior of the industrial halls, in the space previously occupied by Atelierul de Producție, the first in the series of projects dedicated to the creative industries, from Timpuri Noi. On this occasion, a re-conversion project is being implemented for the first time in the Cotton Industry.

The second edition of the Creative East festival aimed to draw attention to the huge potential of the Romanian and Eastern European creative industries. A week of workshops, conferences and exhibitions brought together creative leaders from Europe, along with Romanian artists, craftsmen and entrepreneurs.

The hall of the former spinning mill was brought back to life in the Creative East Market - 50 art, design, fashion, technology, gastronomy and urban development projects have transformed an industrial space into a main destination for discovering local creativity. The event included a series of interactive installations that mixed music with new technologies, concerts and Djing workshops.

Eight startups in technology, crafts and design participated in the pitching session "Get in The Ring Romania", the grand prize plus a place in the final "Get in The Ring" in Singapore, went to the startup ReFlex, a software innovative medical meant to revolutionize the doctor-patient relationship.

The festival's central conference, A City Shaped by Creative Industries, consisted of a marathon of 9 case studies on how creative industries can have a major impact on the urban ecosystem.

After the launch of Nod makerspace, some of the volunteers who participated in the production of the space wanted to remain active in the Nod team. It turned out quite well, because Nod was also receiving requests for furniture and various design productions. Therefore, a part of the original volunteer team was reorganized for producing custom furniture items, for private customers.

After about a year, the team realized it needed to build a dedicated workshop, so as not to risk overcrowding Nod makerspace’s facilities, meant for its subscribers. By applying and receiving public funds and also converting two vacant spaces in the Cotton Factory, WorkWork was started – the production department of Nod makerspace.

More than 3 years have already passed and WorkWork continues to produce custom furniture pieces, mostly made of solid wood, plywood and metal for interior design, installations, pavilions for exhibitions and festivals, object design and signage.

Muzeu3017 was a temporary experimental museum, commisioned by the National Museum Network of Romania. It was opened during the Night of Museums 2017 event and it was hosted in the construction site of the future material libraryat the Cotton Factory. The exhibition was based on “Bucharest Housing Stories” – a research thesys and the web documentary series – which identified and investigated seven types of housing and living, currently existing in Bucharest: blocks of flats, dormitories, modern residential complexes, the ghettos, on the street, nationalized houses and the periurban area.

The design – provided by Wolfhouse Productions – and the curatorial team – formed by Simina Bădică and Iris Șerban – built a playful curatorial premise, in order to change the perspective on the present housing situation and question the socio-cultural phenomena that shape society: along a path composed of an introduction area and a series of 7 multisensory interactive installations, Museum 3017 visitors were invited to take on the role of future citizens visiting an archaeological exhibition about life in Bucharest in 2017.

The idea of having a library of materials as close as possible to a makerspace came from the need of the makers to be able to choose from a wide variety of materials, in order to use them in projects and to discover their properties through various processing methods.

But the most valuable resource of the library is the diversity of materials on display. Architects, designers, engineers and inventors, all of whom usually work with materials are interested in seeing them, touching them and experimenting with them.

The possibility of developing research projects is growing more and more in our minds. Sensors, wearables, prosthetic prostheses? The modeling of the future is just beginning. The multitude of possibilities and ideas is obvious when you walk at MATER among so many materials from all over the world.

The growing interest of the public in Bucharest for the projects and activities carried out at the Cotton Factory, imposed the need for a fully equipped space dedicated to large events. Thus, the idea of the former Atelierul de producție as a multipurpose space, for the most varied events, was revisited and updated.

Atelier Deschis converts another one of the unused halls of the Cotton Factory, into one of the most modern event spaces in the city.

In the context of the various projects developed in this former factory, La Firul Ierbii functions as an interface between the city and the creative community resident here.

The garden in front of this space is, during the day, a place for transit, both for Bucharest residents working in the neighborhood, and for the hundreds of visitors of the public events hosted inside the factory. By implementing a minimal intervention, based on the reuse of existing materials, this space has become both a place for rest and socializing, as well as a landmark that suggests the open and friendly nature of the community located here, on the banks of Dâmbovița.

The object installed in the garden, as well as the La Firul Ierbii center, is an atypical one. Although it is a place for socializing, it can also be a long community table, a very high bench, a pit stop, an exhibition space, workshops and, why not, a dance podium.

Fabricate is a design, prototyping and production studio. Fabricate’s practice combines the technical modes of 3D computer drawing and digital fabrication processes, with the intricacy of professional craftsmanship. From the original portfolio 2 products stand out: F chair and F Stool, sustainably designed and produced.

The space versatility of the former Cotton Factory and the proximity to the Sunrise Productions workshop, makes 2018 the year when Sunrise offices move within this complex. Understanding the creative potential and following the direction given by some of the neighbors, like La Firul Ierbii and Nod makerspace, the Sunrise offices join the co-working movement, hosting along with the agency's offices, the ticketing company Live Tickets and the Association for Education and Ecological Development SOL.

The idea of a co-working dedicated to additive manufacturing was born in 2018 out of the desire to facilitate the access of the general public to diversified equipment and appropriate guidance in the use of the 3D printing technology.

Part of the former Mocasino factory, a 436 m2 warehouse, unused for almost 12 years, was ready to become a space for co-working and events, professional upgrade and hobby, all of it centered around an innovative educational program based on active learning and 3D printing experiments. The space was designed as a centre for courses and workshops on specialized design techniques, applied research of 3D printing in related fields and finishing techniques etc.

The project involved an investment of almost 85,000 euros - in equipment - and over 70,000 euros - in sanitation, renovation, compartmentalization and multi-storey work spaces. Lacking additional financial resources, the initiators had to stop the project at the end of August 2019.

Independent theater founded in 2015, developed around the concept of cultural remedy, Recul has been operating for three years in an old house in Bucharest on Cercului Nr. 6 and stands out for the diversity of its performances consisting of sketch, improv, drama and musical.

On February 13, 2020, Recul opened the gates of its new space located within the former Cotton Factory. The space developed under the coordination of CALUP, has transformed an industrial hall into an 830 m2 creative hub that now houses a 140-seat theater, as well as flexible spaces for workshops, courses, events and a café-bar.

In addition to the performative part, Recul has an educational approach consisting of courses as well as a consistent side of programs and creative solutions for corporations.

Dâmbovița Delivery is an effort to temporarily recover the public space adjacent to the Dâmbovița river, organized by members of the creative community in the Cotton Industry, Timpuri Noi neighbourhood. In July 2020, a first edition, entitled "Teaser", was held. Its main goal was to test the interest of Bucharest residents for such events.

Dâmbovi a Delivery - teaser edition consisted in activating the public space on the river banks through 4 specific actions: the water activities / rowing boat rides, artistic intervention on the facade of the Cotton Industry, improving La Firul Ierbii garden and the online debate about "The role of the river in the city".

The initiative was organized by Wolfhouse Productions, Ivan Patzaichin Association - Mila 23, AMAis and Studio Fluid, with the support of Street Delivery 2020 – “ReSoluții în oraș” and the partners in the Cotton Industry: Nod makerspace community, La Firul Ierbii community center, Sunrise HUB, Deschis Gastrobar and WorkWork.

Over the last decade, the series of creative projects developed here, as well as the community formed around them, without following a very detailed strategy, but guided by a common vision, have generated a new identity for the former industrial platform.

During these years,we have tested and implemented an alternative to the typical solutions for the factories in post-industrial Bucharest (liquidation of production - Zonal Urban Plan - demolition of industrial heritage - development of “a modern ensemble”). The independent projects developed here tested the possibility of starting a process of urban regeneration, by converting the industrial heritage. A process carried out with minimal material resources and (unfortunately) with minimal involvement of the public administration.

The vision for 2025 involves the complete transformation of the former Cotton Industry into the most important center for Creative Industries in Bucharest. A true factory for creativity that will have a positive impact on the neighboring built environment, contributing, along with other urban actors, to the regeneration of the Timpuri Noi neighborhood.