The Porcelain Factory
The revamped Porcelain Factory. | Photo: Fabryka Porcelany
If you’ve ever been to Łódź’s ‘Manufaktura’ or ‘OFF Piotrkowska’ then you’ll kinda get the idea of what this place is trying to be (no, there’s no large shopping centre, but the rest fits the bill). Here since the 1920s and originally the Giesche Porcelain Factory, the modern day ‘Fabryka Porcelany’ is now run by the Giesche Foundation (created in 2012) which has revamped the site to be a post-industrial and technological park housing design offices, art galleries, interior design shops and a concert/event venue known as P23 - any techno fiends among you will know this place means business, oh, yes! You will also find here the fantastic Prodiż Bistro & Prodiż Nero Restaurant - they’re easy to find, as they provide a warm welcome to all visitors at the entrance to the whole complex. Amazingly, the site has been creating porcelain since the 1920s and still has a working furnace involved with production! Even when you arrive, you will
GETTING THERE This is a fairly easy task, as there’s only one direct bus. Take bus 940 from the bus station on level -1 of Galeria Katowicka (M-12) to stop ‘Fabryka Porcelany’ (U13), although, to save yourself the hassle of travelling through nearly all of the city centre in one big loop, it may be best to get on at the nearby eastbound stop ‘Strefa Kultury NOSPR’ on Al. Roździeńskiego (O11), right in front of NOSPR in the Cultural Zone (p.32). A 20 minute ticket is more than enough to get you there. 36
immediately spot the huge chimney stack, but if you look to your left (says the tour guide), you will see an odd looking mural. This piece was created by artist Artur Wabik in 2018 and represents porcelain cats that were once made here - to anyone with Polish roots, almost every grandparent in the land had these cats adorning their properties! There are a few porcelain shops here for you to check out (it feels like more than is necessary to epmhasise the site's porcelain roots), should you wish to see the many forms porcelain can be shaped into! A visit to Fabryka Porcelany is worth it, if even just to see this post-industrial plot, which is part of the Industrial Monuments Route (p.50) - a collection of over 40 of the most interesting industrial heritage sites found in 30 towns and cities throughout the Silesian region.
WHAT TO DO P23 Remember you’re officially in a UNESCO: City of Music with such an accolade, the city’s venues no doubt punch well above their weight. We guarantee they do. At Fabryka Porcelany, the post-industrial vibe is perfect for one of the top music venues in Poland to be located. Hello, P23. If you haven’t been, we recommend finding yourself an event via their Facebook page and getting some tickets! The interior is spartan, with a knock-up style bar, but with an awesome sound system, the shows that go on here are legendary. And if you’re a fan of techno, then wow, you’re in for a treat at this place. Need we say more? To do so would spoil the fun of going and seeing it all for yourself.QU‑13, ul. Porcelanowa 23.
