The Rebirth

Have you ever ridden the trams in the city? You may not think twice about them, but they are the oldest form of public transport in Milan. The yellow ones that you see today were built to a design that is over a hundred years old. Still today, the city has one of the most extensive tram systems in the world, though not as large as it was in its heyday, when the network reached 150 km of tracks, with 700 trams. There is even one of Milan’s historic trams still circulating in San Francisco.

In the early twentieth century, trams were one of the fastest growing industries, accompanying the economic boom, and many companies saw an opportunity for business. In the area to the west of Monumental Cemetery, a company, Carminati Toselli, built a factory manufacturing trams, reaching a total workforce of 1,350 people in 1919. However, the fortunes of Carminati Toselli gradually decreased, and in 1935 the company closed. The buildings were sold and were used for a variety of purposes.

Later on, the area was completely abandoned, in a period in which manufacturing was moving out of Milan. Like many other European cities, Milan has changed from heavy industry to a more business-focused economy. In the mid 1980s, the municipality bought the disused area, and began to think about how the derelict buildings could be used, for a function that wouldn’t completely destroy traces of their past. The solution wasn't easy to find, but after years of discussion, they came up with a brilliant idea. The location – which in the meantime had been given the romantic name Fabbrica del Vapore, steam factory – would be dedicated to the young artists who are yearning for a space to create, in a location where they can develop a form of community for artistic interaction. In 2000, a competition was held in order to allocate the spaces inside the factory premises. Over 300 associations applied, and the 17 winners received their own workshops.

Today, when you walk into the Fabbrica, you can still see the structures, which have not changed all that much from when the factory was operating. But the trams and heavy machinery have gone. Now, in those well-lit, renovated interiors, there are art studios, film production units, ceramic workshops, and even a library. It has become a district dedicated to contemporary art, and so artists are an essential part of the Fabbrica. But it is the library – actually a documentation centre – that brings everything together into a cohesive unit.

On the second floor of the building on the left, there are more than just shelves of books, periodicals and videos. Towards the back of the room, there are endless rows of portfolios. In each of those three thousand white cases, there is a resumé, a brief summary of the artists, their career, and photographic documentation of their work. But you don't have to visit the factory to view them, because you can search for artists in the online database. In this way, the ‘library’ not only serves the artists in the Fabbrica, but also provides rich resources to students, the art community as a whole, business people searching for investment opportunities, and everyone interested in contemporary art.

The site is still being developed. Refurbishment of the large building named the “Cathedral” was completed in January 2011, and work will soon start on other structures that will be used for music studios, exhibition spaces, bookshop, and a refreshments venue. “Palazzina Liberty” is a building that has become a residence for young artists during international exchange projects.

 
The area as a whole looks likely to become an interesting focal point for leading-edge creativity. And its position just across the street from the magnificent Cimitero Monumentale, an open-air museum of 19^th-century sculpture, makes it well worth the trip out from the city centre on tram 12 or 14. Today, the young artists at Fabbrica del Vapore are drawing a brighter future with their own hands, and the old factory is a living witness to the changing times and the continuity of the Milanese spirit.

Yelei Kong