L'[In]VISIBLE Espai Maker is now open in Barcelona!
New Maker Space at a public Library marked a major milestone for the neighborhood, transforming the library into a dynamic space for learning, creativity, and community engagement.
On April 28th, the Biblioteca Camp de l’Arpa-Caterina Albert celebrated the opening of L'[In]VISIBLE Espai Maker, a vision for the neighborhood and a milestone not only for the library and its community, but also an opportunity for Fab Lab Barcelona to reflect on the living experience of public spaces. The event was a success, with a high turnout of people of various ages and nationalities, demonstrating once again that public libraries are more than just places for reading, they are essential centers of lifelong learning that belong to the city and its people.
Águeda Sánchez Martínez, Director of the library, shared the project’s journey within the make-a-thek initiative, highlighting the process from the co-creation with OpenDot, the continuous support from Fab Lab Barcelona, from the initial concepts to the final setup and the collaboration with Etcèteres within BiblioLab Cocrea project. Guillem Camprodon, Director of Fab Lab Barcelona, brought our 25 years of experience to bridge the co-design process with European research. He emphasized how distributed open knowledge empowers neighborhoods, highlighting how craft and digital technologies are not opposites, but complementary ways of producing differently. Carme de la Madrid (Etcèteres Cooperativa) and Alba Lluch (a local teacher) provided a community-focused perspective, grounding the project firmly in the heart of Camp de l’Arpa.
Together, they reminded us of the rich heritage of Barcelona’s productive territory and the legacy of the Costa Font and Alchemika factories. This history of manufacturing is now evolving into a future dedicated to making, repairing, and circularity.
During the event, visitors took small tours to explore the machines and custom-made elements that define the space and asked questions on how to be engaged in the future. This positive response motivates everyone involved to keep moving forward. It was a wonderful opportunity to reveal the “invisible” work of the past months and to reinforce the library’s role in the right to repair and responsible production. Together, we are building a safe public space where the community can make, learn, and belong.
As part of the launch event, several workshops were organized to activate the space and encourage the community to join the following activities as we move from co-design to a living prototype. All events sold out within hours, bringing together an amazing intergenerational and diverse group of people.
L'[In]VISIBLE Espai Maker: Workshop Highlights
Visible Mending, Facilitated by: Penny Papachristodoulou (Back to Eco)
This workshop offered an inspiring introduction to the art of creative repair, showing participants how to breathe new life into discarded garments using the “visible mending” technique. Participants simply brought along an item of clothing featuring a hole, stain, or flaw, and learned how to transform those imperfections into unique design features using a needle and thread.
The event also marked the launch of the Territorios Productivos art residency, which will be hosted right at the library.
Crafting the Azuma-bukuro Bag, Facilitated by: Yuko Nakajima (Petit Japó)
Participants discovered the history of the Azuma-bukuro, a traditionally simple Japanese bag that dates back to the Edo period. Originally crafted from straight-stitched tenugui (hand towels) or furoshiki (wrapping cloths), its signature design features two knotted ends that form a handle. Because it folds down flat and compact, it remains incredibly popular today as a Bento box carrier, a luggage organizer for travel, or an eco-friendly grocery bag.
Textile Collage, Facilitated by Fab Lab Barcelona
This creative session had a strong focus on Community Reflection & Co-Creation. All invited participants were asked to reflect on the potential of the library’s new maker space through textile experimentation. Attendees used fabric and collage to visually express what this new community hub means to them, addressing the central question: How can libraries host the futures we want to make together?
Co-Designing the Basic Sewing Kit, Facilitated by Fab Lab Barcelona
As a core element of L’in[VISIBLE] Espai Maker’s community-driven mission, this interactive workshop invited locals to co-design the library’s future basic sewing kit. Participants brainstormed and voted on the essential tools and materials they would most like to find at the library to help bring their creative ideas to life.
The collaborative session doubled as an innovative social hub. Attendees loved the friendly, knowledge-sharing environment, noting how rewarding it was to swap techniques, help one another sew, and connect with neighbors from different backgrounds who were all eager to collaborate.
Read more about it: make-a-thek
