Beyond the affluent and diverse scale of cultural events, Pécs as European Capital of Culture in 2010 is preparing redesign of numerous parks and squares. Yet another new and attractive highlight will enrich the tourist market of the city: the new cultural-art quarter which is to be established in surroundings of the world renown Zsolnay Factory.
A new chapter will open in the history of the Zsolnay Factory, whose name is identified with the city of Pécs around the globe. One of the most prominent investment projects of the European Capital of Culture programme is the establishment of the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter with a total ground floor space of some 41 thousand square metres on the premises of the reviving Zsolnay Factory. The factory that is currently in operation on the site will make room for a cultural and artistic area that will host events for some 200 thousand visitors every year with its informative visitor’s centre, cafés, university community spaces and vivid cultural life. The project will improve the quality of the park in the Zsolnay Factory that includes wonderful precious plants, monument sculptures and vases.
Together with the building complex on it the entire facility will be broken up into four Quarters by function:
Craftsman’s Quarter This quarter will include the most impressive buildings richly decorated with building ceramics, which will be home to an exhibition presenting the history of the Zsolnay family and the factory, a secessionist café, a craftsman’s street, living quarters and spaces that serve artistic enterprises.
Creative Quarter This quarter will be established by reviving the former pyrogranite plant and its neighbourhood, which will be home to exhibition halls presenting contemporary art, studios, creative workshops, rehearsal rooms and premises for organising various events for young people.
Family and Children’s Quarter The heart of the quarter will be the Bóbita Puppet Theatre that will move into the Green House (the former DO-ZSO, a cultural centre) and offer new, colourful programmes to children and adults alike in the renewed venue. Furthermore, different arts and crafts activities, a family playground, an open air stage and an interactive exhibition of industrial history quite similar to the “Palace of Wonders” in Budapest will make the time of visitors eventful and exciting.
University Quarter The southern section of the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter bounded by road No. 6 will be home to the Faculty of Music and Visual Arts, creating an ideal location for establishing a centre for training in the arts at a European level.
Watch also this fascinating video cartoon:
See more at: http://en.pecs2010.hu
Posted by: Eva Prelovšek
