Conversion of industrial areas into cultural centers

At the Sibiu International Performing Arts Market, one of the conversations unfolded about how industrial ruins can become engines of cultural and urban transformation, Conversion of industrial areas into cultural centers. Led by Constantin Chiriac, the visionary behind Sibiu’s cultural agenda, the discussion brought together artists, architects, and cultural leaders who shared both triumphant examples and ongoing struggles to redefine the soul of their cities.

Moderated by renowned theatre critic and academic Octavian Saiu, the dialogue featured a distinguished panel: award-winning filmmaker Cristian Mungiu; Anka Józsa, PhD, operations director and chief architect of the Hungarian State Opera, decorated with the Hungarian Silver Cross of Merit; Marton Horn, Director of the House of Music Hungary; architect Ștefan Adam; and Constantin Chiriac, director of the Radu Stanca National Theatre and founder of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival.

The power to transform dreams into reality

“The miracle of Sibiu is that reality has been transformed into a dream and that the dream reminds us of reality,” declared Constantin Chiriac as he took the stage. His words encapsulated the spirit of a man who has dedicated decades to turning industrial sites into vibrant spaces for art, community, and identity.

Chiriac detailed the transformation of Sibiu’s former industrial facilities into the Cultural Factory, a complex now housing four performance spaces, including the iconic Faust Hall, Lulu Hall, and the Eugenio Barba Hall, equipped with innovative features such as a double-sensory rotating stage and modular configurations capable of hosting diverse productions, from Kabuki theatre to experimental performances.

“We are starting from the cultural factory, which became a property of the City Hall last year,” Chiriac explained. “We have contained the transformation of an industrial space into four places of show, an outdoor space. Faust Hall received content, the Lulu Hall developed another Lulu show, which we also performed around the world.”

A journey beyond borders: Faust on tour

Chiriac’s narrative took the audience on an international journey. His monumental production of Faust became a symbol of artistic ambition, conquering spaces no one thought possible for theatre.

“For a long time, when Faust for the European Cultural Capital, unbelieving that it would ever go to the tournament, he managed to go to five places,” he said.

The locations were unconventional: a tram depot in Frankfurt, an abandoned slaughterhouse-turned-performance venue outside Edinburgh, industrial spaces in Maribor, and neglected cultural sites in Budapest and Brussels.

“In The Guardian there was an article that said that people would sell one’s soul to see such a show,” Chiriac recalled with evident pride.

Lessons from Budapest: The Eiffel Centre

Anka Józsa, PhD, operations director and chief architect at the Hungarian State Opera, and recipient of the Hungarian Silver Cross of Merit and Ministerial Certificate of Recognition, brought to the stage the story of Budapest’s remarkable Eiffel Centre. This massive cultural transformation turned a former locomotive repair facility into a modern performance and production hub.

“We wanted to move all of our workshops and also realize a cultural function, a cultural center in the building… The structure is very similar to what Eiffel used,” she explained.

Despite rumors, Józsa clarified that Gustave Eiffel did not design the building, but it's ironwork strongly echoes his engineering style. The transformation resulted in an expansive 35,000 square meter complex, housing a chamber theater for baroque and experimental performances, eight rehearsal studios, a recording studio for Hungary’s largest symphony orchestra and artisan workshops built by local craftsmen, fostering a sense of ownership.

“Through this work, they felt much closer to this project,” said Józsa. “It was very important to them to feel that it will be theirs.”

Her efforts revealed not only architectural innovation but also a profound commitment to community involvement. “I’ve never ordered or bought a car,” she joked. “But I bought two locomotives… as a memento of the building’s original function.”

House of Music: architecture as cultural philosophy

Representing another triumph of Budapest’s cultural landscape was Marton Horn, Director of the House of Music Hungary. A charismatic cultural manager, Horn shared how his institution is redefining how architecture and culture can intertwine.

“The whole idea is to keep all the trees and kind of hide the building into the park, but still keep the function and make in-between spaces,” he explained. Designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, the House of Music blurs the line between nature and built space. Its glass facades and organic structures integrate seamlessly with the historic City Park, creating a unique atmosphere where concerts, exhibitions, and education coexist.

“We try to connect through music education the three layers: exhibitions, concerts, and education,” Horn said.

Among its features are a permanent interactive exhibition tracing European music history, experimental spaces like the Soundome, featuring 360-degree sound and visuals, outdoor performances attracting community gatherings and over 1,000 events each year, spanning classical to pop music. “It’s really nice when you are in a park area. People start to use the building not just for tickets, but they want to just go there as a community area… and just relax and have a beer,” added Marton.

Reimagining space and society: Ștefan Adam’s vision

Architect Ștefan Adam, whose professional career has been marked by both acclaim and occasional controversy, offered a philosophical reflection on the transformative power of cultural spaces.

“Culture can change people. Culture can change places, societies. Culture can make life better for people.” Adam presented plans for extending Sibiu’s Cultural Factory, focusing not only on artistic spaces but on creating public areas that blend nature and industrial heritage.

“What is the soul of our project? It is nature that makes a house in harmony with industry. The industry will not disappear, nor will nature… on the contrary, nature will grow through that industry.” He argued that architecture and cultural planning must address social divisions: “I believe that culture can make life better for each of us, both individually and collectively. But everything I just said that culture can do, politics can do as well.”

Cristian Mungiu: saving Romania’s lost cinemas

Acclaimed filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, whose work helped define Romania’s New Wave cinema, offered a stark reminder of Romania’s cultural losses: “We lost the 600 sets of cinemas we had before 1989… Today, we have about 25 out of 600 venues.”

In the chaos after communism, Romania’s cinema network vanished. Cinemas were privatized, converted into bingo halls, or left to decay. Mungiu has spent decades lobbying ministers, only to be repeatedly frustrated.

“I’ve met at least 35 ministers of culture. Every time a minister changes, I’d go to see him, to talk about these plans. After a while, I gave up because until the second meeting, he wouldn’t be in the post anymore.”

In response, Mungiu developed the “cultiplex” concept, a vision for transforming abandoned cinemas into vibrant cultural centers. “I wrote a concept project about the cultiplex, that is, how we could have in the city centres this idea of moving from the idea of consumerism, like at the mall, to the idea of consuming cultural assets.”

He envisages these converted spaces as multi-functional venues for theatre, film, exhibitions, concerts and children’s programs.

While his efforts secured European Commission support for technical upgrades, the Romanian state has yet to implement the program nationwide.

“I really want this example of good practice from Sibiu to show how, if we put together the initiative and energy of someone such as Constantin Chiriac, with the funding we can get… we can develop a model that will then be taken over, so that we can scale this to the whole country,” Mungiu concluded.

The DNA of society 

Bringing the discussion full circle, Octavian Saiu framed the stakes: “Until in Romania we will not understand that it’s not just about the joy of a show… but that it’s about a source of regeneration of the community through communion, everything will remain a dream.”

Saiu insisted that culture is the DNA of society, a force as vital as infrastructure or industry. And to succeed, cultural leaders must abandon insular thinking, adding that “We must stop being so narcissistic, believing that if we are in the theater, we cannot learn from architecture; that if we’re in Romania, we cannot learn what’s happening in Hungary.”