Westwerk Leipzig, 2008

I took these back in 2008 using a wonky half-format camera and cheap film stock from the drugstore. I was a student in Leipzig and would spend much of my time roaming the city with my camera. I remember Plagwitz, the neighbourhood where this former factory is located, to be rough on the edges, full of empty and run-down buildings. We went to a place called Noch Besser Leben for gigs quite often, and there was an excellent vegan kebab place; sometimes, I ventured further West to buy art supplies and take pictures at Baumwollspinnerei, another former industrial area that was already internationally renowned for its artist ateliers and galleries.

The building in the photographs opened to the public in 2007. I cannot remember on what occasion I took them. But most of the complex was still unused back then; some rooms were empty, and others were filled with rubble. Someone had put swings in the main hall. Today, the Westwerk is used for gastronomy, exhibitions, education and more. There are artist ateliers, shops and a coffee roastery. The big hall leads to a supermarket. The neighbourhood is alive and thriving. Many buildings along the main thoroughfare have been renovated. New cafés, restaurants and bars that cater to a hip, young urban elite have opened. The Noch Besser Leben and the vegan kebab place are still here.