It all started – as always – with a factory

It should come as no surprise that if something has been renovated and adapted for new purposes in Łódź, it was probably either a historic townhouse or a factory. The same is true of OFF Piotrkowska, the site of the former Ramisch factory. The small cotton empire developed gradually from 1879 onwards; initially the entrepreneur employed only 8 workers, but ten years later – already 70. By 1889, Ramisch already had a steam engine and dozens of mechanical looms. In 1924, after the war (many machines were destroyed), a Joint-Stock Company was established – "Franciszek Ramisch" Cotton Products Factory. A few years later, the Cotton Thread Producers Association also had its headquarters on the factory grounds. After nationalization, it became the Łódź Industrial Cotton Spinning Mill and finally the Walter General Cotton Industry Plants. The later history of the factory complex created by Ramisch is no longer as distinctive – various companies used the premises (from 1999 onwards). Everything began to change only in 2011 – when OPG (Orange Property Group) presented Łódź residents with the renovated OFF Piotrkowska.

OFF Piotrkowska – w czym tkwi fenomen dawnej fabryki Ramischa?

The process of creating OFF Piotrkowska

The originator of the entire project is Michał M. Styś, vice-president of OPG Property Professionals. Initially, the complex was not fully developed; the project creators first had to convince Łódź residents that OFF Piotrkowska had nothing to do with the space that residents called "China Town" – named after the Asian food stalls that previously stood on the complex grounds. It quickly became clear, however, that the project was a success and more and more companies decided to rent space. This is, by the way, not the end of work on the complex – the investor, thanks to earned revenue, plans further developments. One of them is a viewing point that would be located at the top of the recently renovated tower. It is worth noting that the company's original concept for Centrum OFF Piotrkowska was quite different – a luxury four-star hotel was to be built on the complex grounds. However, the plans were thwarted by the real estate market crisis at the time.
 
What can we find on the grounds of the former Ramisch empire?

OFF Piotrkowska is a place where different ideas meet. The post-industrial complex is ideal climate especially for artist studios, a great venue for organizing small concerts, and a dream location for alternative cafes, restaurants and clubs. Everything that breaks the mold should fit perfectly into OFF Piotrkowska. What can you find there? A shop and cafe for runners, the popular Mebloteka Yellow, one of Łódź's most famous clothing brands (Pan Tu Nie Stał), the Spaleni Słońcem club or DOM, the charming DalekoBlisko cafe, the controversial Ganimedes club or the already iconic Drukarnia Skład Wina&Chleba (for lovers of freshly baked bread and homemade wine). Of course, these are only some of the establishments – photography enthusiasts, graphics designers and lovers of unusual, handmade items will also find something for themselves.