After the closure of Public Slaughterhouses in 2005, the Municipality of Prato decided to dedicate the whole area to projects and events for young people: this is how the Officina Giovani - Cantieri culturali (Youth Workshop) was born.
The first renovated space, the large building were meats were processed, has become a space for events that can accommodate 450 seats and host concerts, theatrical shows and performances.
Even after the necessary changes and adaptations, the space has retained its original appearance, keeping both the floor covered with small tiles and the hooks and pulleys that were used to hang the slaughtered animals.
Through the years renovation work on different parts of the buildings gradually created theatre and concert spaces, information and exhibition places, and cultural exchange and study areas.
The more recent works, still to be completed, involve the renovation of a further 520 sqm which will be destined to the creation of an exhibition and tourist information centre.
Once ready, the area will include a new Bar Restaurant that will overlook a new public square, which will make the whole Former Slaughterhouses complex more visible and easily accessible.
The "Former Refrigeration Rooms" area has been completely renovated and restructured in order to be used as an exhibition space, while at the same time preserving characteristic features such as the floors, the wall covering, and the typical steel track system, used for moving the slaughtered animals.