Where once there were abandoned factories, deserted barracks, or unfinished construction sites, today contemporary art takes shape. More and more often, urban regeneration is driven by creativity, transforming forgotten spaces into places of culture, community, artist collective and beauty.
Here are five exemplary stories of urban renewal through contemporary art from Italy to Germany and France.
Parco Dora – Turin
Built on the ruins of the Fiat and Michelin factories, Parco Dora is now a post-industrial urban park that preserves steel and concrete structures as reminders of the past. The area is now a stage for cultural and musical events, such as the Kappa FuturFestival, and also hosts MAca, a museum dedicated to the environment. It’s an example of urban regeneration where nature, memory, and innovation coexist.
Ex Asilo Filangieri – City of Naples
Once a school, today a self-managed cultural laboratory, the Ex Asilo Filangieri is animated by a diverse community of artists and citizens. In a cooperative system, the space hosts theatre, dance, cinema, meetings, and workshops. It’s a participatory model that has been recognised by the City of Naples, which entrusted its management to the very “inhabitants of the school.”
Z-Bau – Nuremberg
In the heart of Nuremberg, a former military barracks has become a vibrant hub for contemporary art. Z-Bau hosts exhibitions, concerts, workshops, and experimental contemporary artwork installations, offering space to local and international contemporary artists. Its garden and beer garden also make it a gathering spot for the community, perfectly balancing culture and social interaction.
Street Art City – Lurcy-Lévis
A former industrial site of 22,000 square meters has been transformed into a “graffiti city” that hosts contemporary artists from around the world. Street Art City combines monumental artwork murals and artist residencies, with contemporary artworks that evolve over time, all in direct contact with nature. Among its most original projects is the Hôtel 128, where each room is an immersive creation.
Les Frigos – City of Paris
From former refrigerated storage to a contemporary art centre: Les Frigos is home to over 200 artists in studios created within a 1921 industrial building. Supported by the City of Paris, it depicts a virtuous representative of urban regeneration, providing space for independent and unconventional culture.
