LaFábrika detodalavida (LFDTV)

What if we told you that old industrial spaces have the potential to become a valuable asset for community development?

The concept of repurposing abandoned buildings isn’t exactly novel, but when the goal is to create a common space focused on ecology and accessible culture, the model is worth replicating.

Meet LaFábrika detodalavida (LFDTV), the winner of this year’s New European Bauhaus prize in “Regenerated urban and rural spaces”.

After being abandoned for decades, an old brutalist cement factory evolved into a collaborative place filled with new meanings and LFDTV became a landmark for an open network of creators, thinkers and social agents throughout the rural region of Extremadura, SW of Spain.

The project provides new perspectives and addresses the lack of opportunities, particularly for young people.

With a sustainable economic approach and a crowdfunding model, the heritage site hosts various satellite projects and five permanent programmes:

?Cine al Fresco: an independent cinema open to the public, showing films about social issues and opening a debate
?‍♂️La Kacharrería: a co-learning workshop focused on sustainable building and collective creation for arts and architecture, housed in a recently restored warehouse
?SiempreViva: reintroducing vegetation to the factory’s surroundings and regenerating polluted soil
?Corralón Records: LFDTV’s cooperative music netlabel, promoting young artists and rural sounds
?Autopías: a laboratory of applied investigation, incorporating the philosophy of good living into the community’s daily lives

The projects have a common purpose: free culture and the area’s regeneration through art and participation.

More than 3.000 people from 20+ countries have contributed to the renewal of the space, providing opportunities for growth and livelihood for the local community of Los Santos, a rural area severely impacted by depopulation and unemployment.

LFDTV encourage locals to give back to the community, reactivate the cultural fabric of the area, inspire people to share their skills & reuse existing materials, engage citizens, tackle social issues and the territorial challenges of rural areas.

?© European Union

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