INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE REIMAGINED: Adaptive Reuse and the Future of Arts Spaces

---

Across the world, abandoned factories, armories, and forgotten industrial structures are being reborn as vibrant centers for the performing arts. This two-part session brings together the architects, directors, and administrators behind some of these transformations to examine both the making and the sustaining of such spaces.

Part 1, The Transformation turns to its keynote speakers for a frank look at vision, patrimony, and the business of reinvention — how to fund these ambitious projects and how to balance the preservation of industrial heritage against the demands of contemporary performance.

Part 2, The Living Space gathers leaders from Marseille, Budapest, Bucharest, Brussels, and Paris to confront what happens after the ribbon-cutting: building local audiences, forging civic identity, weighing prestige against access, and securing long-term cultural and financial sustainability.

Together, the two parts trace the full arc — from the first architectural gamble to the daily work of remaining relevant — offering a candid, practical portrait of how yesterday’s industrial ruins become tomorrow’s cultural landmarks.

---

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS · PART 1 — THE TRANSFORMATION

President, Park Avenue Armory, New York City (USA)

President, Sibiu International Theatre Festival; Founder, Fabrica de Cultură, Sibiu (Romania)

Head of International Relations and Artistic Projects, Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris (France)

CEO, Therme Art Group, Bucharest (Romania)

Director, Lieux Publics, Marseille (France)

CEO, Eiffel Art Studios, Budapest (Hungary)

General Director, Art Safari, Bucharest (Romania)

General Director, Les Halles de Schaerbeek, Brussels (Belgium)

General Director, ARCUB – Cultural Center of Bucharest (Romania)

Moderated by Octavian Saiu, Cultural Theorist and Professor (Romania).

---

Event in English, with translation into Romanian
Duration: 1h 30min