– a former hospital complex which is shaping up to be Kraków’s creative quarter.
The former pharmacy building which once produced medication for the local hospital is now a working space for designers and other creatives. It is an interdisciplinary space open to all regardless of age: from preschoolers, via groups with special needs, young people and adults all the way to seniors.
The Design Pharmacy provides a space for experimentation. It is a spot on Kraków’s map where designers, artists, representatives of academic and cultural circles and simply enthusiasts of design in its broadest sense can bring their ideas to life, create prototypes and test solutions beyond the boundaries of standard design. It is a creative hub aiming to integrate design communities, provide space for education, improve skills and competencies and provide activities intertwining the academic, design and creative worlds.
It is also home of the Trends Observatory for Culture – a group exploring cultural trends, implementing methodologies in participative activities and studying the future.
As well as hosting design workshops, the Design Pharmacy hosts a cosy reading room filled with books on philosophy, psychology and state-of-the-art technologies alongside those dedicated to design. As well as being a co-working space, the reading room is a place of respite where you can simply chill out.
The newly created zone forms a part of the revitalisation strategy of the Wesoła district in Kraków. The former nine-hectare complex was purchased from the University Hospital by the Municipal Office in 2019.
The main goal is to create a multifunctional space for Kraków’s residents featuring green public spaces integrated with the city’s historic past. Places such as Wesoła are already a reality in many other cities such as Barcelona, Berlin and Vienna.
From the moment when the Kraków City Development Agency took up the challenge to revitalise Wesoła, one of the main goals was to adapt the historic buildings in the district and breathe new life into them. The launch of The Design Pharmacy on 26 September 2023 served as a symbolic start bringing dynamism to the entire revitalisation process.
The Design Pharmacy is a space aiming to integrate the full spectrum of design circles in Kraków.
“The Design Pharmacy in Wesoła is a space for encounters and collaborations of designers, but the outcomes will also benefit the district and local residents,” says Carolina Pietyra, director of KBF.
This goal is met by hosting numerous meetings of creative circles and joint design projects supported by a dynamic space specially adapted to designers representing myriad fields and circles such as universities, collectives, NGOs, start-ups and businesses.
An ongoing side of the project is long-term dialogue about shared space, implementing projects at The Design Pharmacy and its surroundings and working with numerous partners such as Capella Cracoviensis and the Spółdzielnia Muzyczna contemporary music ensemble, headquartered at the former convent building.
Programme
As part of the Workshop and Co-working Programme, the Design Pharmacy is open to designers in exchange for their engagement in activities supporting the development of the Wesoła creative district. The main aims of the programme include bolstering the position of design circles in Kraków, promoting and developing the Wesoła district, supporting debuting and experienced designers and developing networks between creative districts on local, national and international levels. Together with designers, the team of the Pharmacy of Design engages in wayfinding – developing a visual map of the district.
The design at the heart of the Pharmacy differs from other branches of arts and crafts by taking us on a journey to a potential future and helping us build our own narratives. How will this benefit the local community? We’ll find out via a programme of participative and educational activities and neighbourhood initiatives in Wesoła, and through open days and workshops hosted regularly at the venue.
