The
Living
Archive

what the archive is about

The Living Archive explores the potential of (post)industrial heritage to transform production in our cities. We collect stories with participatory heritage methods. The nodes for the local collection efforts are Fab City Hubs (FCH). The collection has been carefully assembled by FCH teams who have been learning about, co-creating and applying participatory heritage-making approaches, emotion networking methodology, oral history principles and creative perspective-taking.
 Select tags and categories to filter stories in the archive below. Explore their connections in the network graph.

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This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement n. 869595

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Under the Smoke of the Chimneys

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This story is about...

Subject:Reflecting on a transformed neighbourhood

Collected in:Milan

Using:Storytelling

Date of Events:1980s

Related Locations:Tortona, former Ansaldo

Under the Smoke of the Chimneys

Concepts

Place

Features

People

Live

Make

Products

Materials

Scale

Impacting people

Deindustrialisation

Factory

Chimney

Open space

Steel worker

Artists

Commute

Drink

Produce

Machines

Metal

Neighborhood

Sadness

Loss

Hopeful

Craft

Regeneration

Curating the streets

Boat Repairers

The Cardboard Chair

Same space, new identity

Nordvest and Gentrification

Airplane factory Fokker

Memories of Kopli 93

Cigarette Factory Steilo

Creating local connections: Next and the Living Archive

If these walls could talk...

Inspired by Tesla

Unveiling urban transformations

The Smell of Tomatoes

Walking into Noord's Future

Resurrections of building and community

Remembering a factory community

Roland the beekeeper

Reflecting on European Heritage Days

Viggo's Bar

Introducing: The TextileLab

Maker Sonny Blijden

Women in Wood

Taking back the streets

Peeter, Soul of Kopli 93

Art needlework and symbolic language

Stakeholder views: activities in the Women's College

Housing in the middle of an industrial hub

Growth amongst the Smokestacks

The Last Sip of Tortona

Enclave of Creativity, Production and Collaboration

A Wonderful Place

The NDSM-Werf through time

Bakkelit by Design

From foul odors to fresh air

The Train to the Future

Volunteer Simon Bakker

Wood x Art

Theatre in the NDSM-Werf

Tortona-Solari: A Changing Community

From ruins to revival

Centring politics in Sesvete

I am the soil

Glacial Bio Pottery

Zamenhofstraat

From Shipyard to Sustainable Playground

Doing the unexpected with concrete

Handcrafted straw hats

From Decay to Renaissance

Maker Daan Meeuwig

I came to Kopli because of Kopli

Weaving Memories

The Evolution of Via Novi

Tortona: The Alchemy of Art in the Industrial Heart

A short time travel

Across the IJ

The artist's bridge

Art to bring Sesvete closer

Metal Worker Willem van Kelle

Just a weed

Coming home

The Industry Still Lingers

The yellow stripe

The Hearty Party

Staying true to the industrial heritage

Vintage Factory

Birth of a Hub

A resource center based on values

The arrival of Z'ATELIERS

From the edge to a new centre

Craft with a health focus

Biking through time with Museum Amsterdam Noord

Patchwork Dreams

At the heart of ceramics

Connecting beyond locality

Rentemestervej's first cafe

Past Creativity

Bandenuitlijncentrum Sabri

From Pizza to Sushi

Embracing artistry

Crafting resilience between tradition and transformation

An alternative pathway to feed us is possible

Upcycling Heritage

The keys of the castle

The perfection of a craft (beer)

Among the Shadows of Time

Seaweed Dialogues

If walls could talk

Design as it should be

When New meets Old

Emotion Networking the 'Working Space'

A tough departure

Likenwood: Connecting with nature through woodcraft

Yumen Bionics

If you lose your tongue...

Minukopli, MyKopli

The sounds of machinery still churn

Captivating textures between Mexico and Barcelona

Something to Keep

Theatre in the Factory

Nordvest and Craftsmanship

Workspaces as Social Hubs

Traditional jewelry for different futures

Kopli 93 is a living organism

Reflections through the Smoke

It was a gray and humid day in Milan, in the heart of the 1980s. In the Tortona area, famous for its factories and smoking chimneys, stood the old Ansaldo factory. After decades of activity, the time had come for its permanent closure. And it was also my last day of work there. My name is Pietro, and I spent most of my life in that factory, skillfully and dedicatedly working with metals. I had seen myself grow in its workshop, surrounded by the melody of machinery and the warmth of the blast furnaces. But now everything was changing. Technology was advancing, production processes were being modernized, and old establishments like Ansaldo were disappearing. As I completed the final tasks assigned to me, my mind wandered between memories and thoughts about the future. My life had been shaped by the rhythm of that factory, and now I wondered what would happen without it. How could I adapt to such a different reality? As my eyes scrutinized the gears of the enormous machinery that were about to be shut down forever, my heart filled with sadness. But I wasn't only sad for myself. I also thought about what the factory's closure would mean for the neighborhood. Ansaldo had been one of the main sources of employment for the local community. Many residents of Tortona relied on those walls to make a living. My mind went back in time when the streets were full of workers heading to the factories, the taverns were crowded with workers replenishing themselves after a hard day's work, and children played in the streets with the smoke from the chimneys as a constant backdrop. Now, everything seemed destined to change. The closure of Ansaldo would bring an atmosphere of uncertainty and unemployment. The neighborhood would have to reinvent itself to survive. As I left the factory for the last time, with my eyes still moist, I stared at the sign that said "Ansaldo" disappearing on the horizon. It was the symbol of an era that was fading away, but I was aware that even amidst the sadness, there were opportunities. The Tortona neighborhood could undergo unexpected rebirth. The abandoned factories could become spaces for artists and creatives. The streets, once crowded with workers, could transform into vibrant pedestrian areas with fashion shops and art galleries. The neighborhood could embrace new creative industries, promoting innovation and contemporary art. The closure of Ansaldo could be a launching pad for an unexpected rebirth. As I walked the streets of Tortona on my last day of work, I envisioned a bright future for the neighborhood. The old warehouses could become exhibition spaces, the inner courtyards venues for cultural gatherings, and the abandoned buildings shelters for artists seeking inspiration. Tortona could become a center of creativity and innovation, attracting visitors from around the world. While reflecting on these possible scenarios, I realized that I, too, had the opportunity to reinvent myself. My skill in working with metals could be applied in new contexts. Perhaps I could open a small artisan workshop, creating unique artworks using the materials I had come to know so well. The closure of the factory offered me the freedom to explore new horizons.

Why is this story relevant?

The story captures the beauty of human resilience and adaptation to new horizons, as past and future intertwine in a harmonious embrace.

Story and image contributed by Federico Manca

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Coming home

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