In September 2019, The Society of Polish Town Planners announced the winners of an annual competition for the best Polish public space. The Jury composed of professionals, including members of the National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning, Association of Polish Architects, Chamber of Polish Architects, The “Integration” Foundation, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of Investment and Economic Development and The Society of Polish Town Planners itself, named OFF Piotrkowska Center in Łódź the best revitalised public space in Poland.
Completed in 1889 to serve as a cotton weaving factory, the former redbrick complex housing received a new impetus earlier in the decade when its decaying, derelict hulk was turned over to host on-edge food and drink concepts and other independent projects. Today, in one place you can find workshops of fashion designers, designers and architects, music clubs, restaurants, exhibition spaces, rehearsal rooms, showrooms, concept stores, and café clubs. On the premises of the former cotton factory of Franciszek Ramisch, there is an ongoing project aimed at the creation of an alternative for the mainstream consumer stream.
Though first debuting in 2011, OFF’s enduring relevance to Łódź was recognized by the competition’s Jury who credited it for “stopping the degradation of a post-factory space in the city centre while contributing to the social revitalization of the place by combining grassroots initiatives of residents and local entrepreneurs.” Praising its worth as a cultural and creative space, the jury also cited its importance in helping the city discover its tourist potential.
The managers of the site, OPG Property Professionals, have given the area a second life by adding new functions whilst simultaneously retaining the soul of the old factory. The site’s redevelopment hasn’t replaced existing activities, but simply added new ones such as office spaces for creative businesses, IT startups and new technology firms. These vibrant new directions haven’t overshadowed the remarkable atmosphere that both locals and visitors have learned to love. The latest awards in the “Pearls of Łódź” contest, handed by the very citizens of the city to OFF Piotrkowska Center and its office buildings – Teal Office and Sepia Office – serve as a further affirmation of the sizeable contribution this project has made to reinventing Łódź, as well as OPG’s sensitive approach to revitalisation projects.
