Culture Factory Polymer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Construction | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1 January 2003 |
| Closed | 1 January 2014 |
| Website | |
| http://www.kultuuritehas.ee (Defunct) | |
Culture Factory Polymer (Estonian: Kultuuritehas Polymer) was a multidisciplinary centre for artistic creation and diffusion in Tallinn, Estonia. Located in Lilleküla, Kristiine District, on the fringes of the Tallinn city centre, this former toy factory became in 2003 one of the main strong points for alternative un-institutionalized culture in Tallinn.
Culture Factory Polymer closed in 2014.[1]
During the Soviet era, Polymer was a toy factory. In 1993, closed this branch of activities, leaving a large building in a state of abandonment.
A few years after, a group of artists, intrigued by this big empty space, decided to turn a room into a rehearsal place. Step-by-step, other artists wished to enjoy different spaces to create, to rehearse. The new owner of the building gave its agreement for necessary rearrangements and renovations.
Nowadays, the factory disposes of 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft) of space, dedicated to creation and diffusion. The building aesthetics of Polymer are typical Soviet industrial style. Concrete production facilities were transferred over time to incorporate new space for living, artistic use and events, with the old flair and keeping its authenticity. The conservation of the old factory's name, "Polymer", perpetuates the memory of this historic past.[2]
The different spaces
Polymer, it is nowadays:
- studios for artists,
- rehearsals rooms for music bands,
- a center for art courses,
- two exhibition galleries,
- a Media Lab,
- two concert halls,
- two spaces which can be converted for several kinds of events,
- a bar,
- and two studios for guest artists.
A traditional letterpress print shop was also installed in the building; it's kept alive through realisation of posters for different organizations and animation of workshops for different publics.