Tobacco

The old Tobacco Factory is a unique building, due to its architecture and its history. Located between the streets of Embajadores, Miguel Servet and Provisiones, with a façade to the Ambassadors Roundabout. It is the only survivor of the neoclassical industrial architecture of Madrid in Carlos III as a plaque on its main door says.

Built by Manuel de la Ballina López de Castro between the years 1781 and 1792, as part of the Bourbon policy that transformed Madrid urbanistically and established royal factories in the southeastern sector of the city.

At first it was built to house La Real Fábrica de Aguardientes, Rosolís (Spirit with cinnamon, sugar and other fragrant ingredients) and Naypes. Although its main function was to store the monopoly's stagnant products that could not be sold freely: brandy, decks of cards, liqueurs, sealed paper... In 1808 Napoleon's army entered Madrid, invaded the building and began to use it as a barracks.

In the area it was known that a large part of the women in the neighborhood were involved in rolling cigarettes in clandestine workshops. This and the lack of legal supply of tobacco for its soldiers led to the factory being officially occupied by those cigarette makers on April 1, 1809, converted into a tobacco and snuff factory in 1809. The Tobacco Factory finally began to operate. From that date until the end of the 1903th century, it underwent various extensions, which finally culminated in XNUMX with the extension of the second floor, a project already drawn up by the architect Amos Salvador Carrera. In 1902, the Compañía Anónima Tabacalera, later called La Tabacalera, took over. Their good streak would continue until 1945, when activity would begin to progressively decrease with a workforce at minimum levels. The center would end up closing definitively in the year 2000 to be attached to the Ministry of Culture.

It is a characteristic building of civil architecture from the end of the 26.000th century, with a structure of load-bearing brick walls lightened by large arches and a rectangular plan composed around three patios: a central one, uncovered and landscaped, and two lateral ones, smaller and also covered. It consists of a semi-basement, ground floor, two floors, large doorways that open to the main façade, facing Embajadores Street. They have about 30.000 square meters built in their main volume, which adds up to a total of about XNUMX square meters if we add the attached buildings.

The Madrid Tobacco Factory was permanently vacated in 2000, just after the privatization of La Tabacalera/Altadis. The building was abandoned for ten years of progressive deterioration and no maintenance, ten years of intermittent struggles to open the building to a neighborhood with little public spaces.

The projects and conflicts to decide the future of this great building have occurred since the factory closed. The Ministry of Justice wanted it to occupy its rooms with courts, the Museo del Prado to expand its premises, it was considered the perfect headquarters for the Museums of Decorative Arts and Artistic Reproductions... the neighbors demanded a “social use”. It was decided to undertake its rehabilitation to welcome the future National Center for the Visual Arts, although the project has suffered innumerable difficulties in the awarding of the tender.

A large part of the building on Embajadores Street has been converted, after years of struggle, into a self-managed social center that promotes the creativity of its users for free: LTBC La Tabacalera. An excellent example that culture can be supported with other approaches. Right now it is closed for some works that seem to end at the end of February, but we highly recommend that you stop by there on occasion.

A abrazo.