“That’s Marc, he’s making a mini arcade”, says Barry in his overalls, showing me around and introducing me to people concentrating on their projects. There are shelves decked with drills, circular cutters, jig-zag cutters, and an area cornered off in the room for carpentry. There’s a familiar smell of garage… tool smell.
“An arcade?” It’s a six inch squared machine, an exact miniature replica of the kind you’d typically find in a games room, and the one sitting at the entrance. There’s a box with piles of motherboards, a 3D printer, a welder and a woman named Delphine is working on her lanterns, which she’s sliced into immaculately using the laser cutter. I later learn that she’s an artist using the machines to create the right kind of lampshades she has in mind to exhibit her work.
I then meet Ian, co-founder of the makerspace that has been running since 2013. The idea behind MADE is simple: it is a non-profit community to allow artists, designers, inventors, engineers, makers, fabbers and hackers to get on with their projects in a shared space, using shared materials and equipment. It’s set up to develop an open community of distributed learning, co-operation and entrepreneurial activities. Membership is 35 euros a month; 80 euros for your own table. There is a sensored door, allowing 24 hour access.
In the room at the back of the space I meet two (more techie) makers. One of whom, Bartek, is working on plane simulator, which blows my mind so much that it’s about all I can cope with for one day.
MADE Bcn draws all sorts of people and creative ideas under one roof. It is the first of its kind in Barcelona to provide a communal space with shared material. The space is tucked away in an old industrial building in the heart of Eixample (Concell de Cent 159, Metro L1 Urgell).
Website: http://made-bcn.org/
Facebook Page: Made Makerspace Barcelona
