Niemeyer Factory Reopens
Groningen's former Tobacco factory Niemeyer reopens its doors to the public
A group of people gathers in an abandoned room in the Niemeyer factory in Groningen on Tuesday. Graphics, maps, and explanations are displayed everywhere, all about the development and renewal of the area. Everyone wants to know what will happen to their neighborhood and especially what will happen to the factory that has been the center of this residential community for so long.
Meanwhile, just one floor below, an elderly man sits contentedly in his chair in the building's lobby as if he has been sitting there forever. Bert Jan has been working as security staff at the entrance for 30 years and is not planning on going anywhere. He is now responsible for guiding people through the building and keeping an eye on things, given that he knows his way around blindfolded, as he says.
"Back then, the trucks that carried tobacco were heavily secured. There were a lot of visitors, employees, and third parties at the site, and it was quite a job to keep everything running", Bert Jan tells The Glass Room. "These days, people can just hold the door open."
The Niemeyer factory in Groningen was a central part of the Dutch tobacco industry for over 200 years. Founded in 1819 and later part of the British American Tobacco Group, the striking brick building, with its distinctive chimney, shaped the townscape and the region's economy for generations. It had to close in 2022 due to a substantial decline in tobacco consumption. What sounds like positive news for some weighs heavily for others.
"Now it's an empty building, so that's strange for me. I now see everything I used to be responsible for taken away," Bert Jan says, "The departments are empty. There used to be machines, air conditioning systems, boilers – all of that is gone."
The residents' walk-in meeting, held at the Niemeyer on Tuesday, drew many attendees to the factory's old walls. While some are positive about the changes, most are more concerned about the modernization of this part of the city, which is full of history.
Following the closure of Niemeyer, the municipality of Groningen, in collaboration with project developer MWPO, has taken the initiative to revitalize the site. The former industrial site is slated for transformation into an open, mixed-use urban quarter in the coming years.
Unlike most former factory workers, Bert Jan was one of only two former employees who managed to retain their jobs. Around 180 people lost their jobs when the factory closed three years ago.
"The director said: I want you here. So, I was pleased about that," he says. However, being left behind by so many people close to his heart was not easy for him. "We had a group of colleagues here. Over 25 years, you build strong bonds. You're not just coworkers; you become friends. I missed that right away."
To this day, many former employees continue to visit the factory regularly and share old anecdotes and photos on Facebook. "They say that they can't breathe at their new jobs – that they wish Niemeyer was still around," Bert Jan says.
©Amelie Janssen
©Amelie Janssen
©Lina Tjarks
©Lina Tjarks
©Lina Tjarks
©Lina Tjarks
©Lina Tjarks
©Lina Tjarks
The project director at MWPO, Jan Theo van den Beek, is aware of the importance the building and its history hold for the local community. He says that former employees of the Tobacco Factory visited during some of the information sessions, just like the one The Glass Room attended. "We're planning to find a way to share their stories, too," he says.
"We're planning to find a way to share their stories, too"
However, van den Beek also emphasizes the importance of creating a more accessible and future-oriented way to utilize the now-empty factory. "No one knows this place anymore. It used to have so much meaning for the city, but only the factory workers came here. Now we see it as something beautiful to open the gates again so everyone can experience it."
The mock-up posters at the information evening showcase ambitious plans for a diversified use of the space, ranging from accessible living and hospitality to gastronomy and small shops. "We're going to repurpose the factory. Preserve it, but transform it", van den Beek says.
The most discussed aspect of the project is the establishment of an innovation and creation hub for startups and education centered around digital transformation. One month ago, the municipality published its plans to invest 60 million euros in creating the region's largest AI hub in the factory.
Van den Beek says Niemeyer was and will continue to be about connection and collaboration. He says that, as of now, everything is very scattered across the city or even across the region. "Companies are everywhere and nowhere, without really collaborating or sharing knowledge. And there's little connection with the education sector. We want to create that here".
"There used to be cladding on the outside that hid a beautiful brick facade underneath. We're going to reveal that again"
He does not view the strict building protection measures, due to its monument status, as a problem but plans to "restore it to its former glory," van den Beek says. "There used to be cladding on the outside that hid a beautiful brick facade underneath. We're going to reveal that again".
These are promises that give Bert Jan a positive outlook on the factory's future. Despite all the changes, he says he already has a good idea of what it will look like. "It's going to be fantastic. This is like our second home. So it's amazing to see the transformation."
©Lina Tjarks
©Lina Tjarks
©Amelie Janssen
©Amelie Janssen
©Amelie Janssen
©Amelie Janssen
©Naemi Bohlken
©Naemi Bohlken
The main construction phase is set to take two to three years, according to the project developers. However, van den Beek says that it is essential for the factory not to disappear entirely from people's radar. "What we don't want is for nothing to happen during this construction phase, so we're also starting to organize events," he explains. "The idea is to bring the space to life already and to bring people here and generate enthusiasm."
A notable example of events like these is the Minerva graduation show, which utilizes the factory as the primary location for its yearly graduate show out of a total of eight venues.
Diana Bont, Head of the Minerva design department, views the factory setting as an opportunity to showcase most of the students' work in one unique space while still giving each project sufficient space to tell its story. "This is a beautiful place to have an exhibition. These old buildings have a special atmosphere.", she says.
Van den Beek shares that same sentiment and views the exhibition as a great fit to showcase what the space could become. "Through a cultural public role, we want to create connections. For instance, with digital art, so that there is a link between that and the businesses located here.", he says.
This exhibition at the factory primarily features projects from graduates of the design, art, and technology programs.
