fabrikage

The aim of this visual essay is to use photography as a tool to document Timișoara’s industrial heritage.

Even from the start, a particular characteristic stands out. One might observe the fact that a considerable percentage of them monopolize the landscape and the cityscape vertically. A lot of them take up space along the Bega river, which crosses and divides the city equally north and south. From an historical point of view, the answer lies behind the way Timișoara developed during the Habsburg occupation. The inner city - Cetate - was strategically built within a Vauban fortification, while satellite neighborhoods - Iosefin, Fabric, Elisabetin and Mehala - hold the ground for developing the industrial aspect of the city.

Although this project captures just a small fraction of its industrial heritage, some other aspects were taken into consideration and guided the curating process.

The selection consists not only of buildings or ensembles erected in the 19th century, but also through the whole 20th century and even recent attempts to reconsider the existing structures worthy of keeping and converting them. All of this in a manner that pays tribute instead of altering the original character of the past.

Many factories have faced demolition, especially in the last 10-15 years, as the industry transformed and the tendecy was to no longer keep this concrete giants in the city.