The Vodka Monopoly Plant was established at the end of the 19th century at some distance from the very center of the city. The construction of the monumental factory building began in 1897 according to the design of the outstanding architect Franciszek Chełmiński. The Vodka Monopoly, consisting of several buildings with different functions, made a permanent mark in the industrial history of Lodz - with its size it dominated and almost equalled the empires of the Lódź textile tycoons such as Karol Scheibler or Izrael Poznański.
The history of the plant was not very turbulent as for the conditions in Łódź. The monopoly was almost all the time under the control of the State Treasury or the Magistrate, pure vodkas, spirit and denatured alcohol were produced and bottled. Flavoured vodkas were the plant's speciality - in the 1970s, Łódź had the most modern laboratory in Poland for the production of flavoured spirits and five production lines. The brands associated with the Polmos plant in Łódź - such name functioned during the communist era - included Prezydent, Delikatesowa, Columbus and Regnum. Flavoured and coloured vodkas enjoyed separate success: Klubowa, Żołądkówka, Pieprzówka, Leśna and Miodowa.
The last bottle of alcohol was produced in 2007, it was also the beginning of changes taking place in the factory complex. The plant was bought by a private investor - Virako company - who transformed the former Vodka Monopoly into an office, entertainment and cultural center called Monopolis. Today, Monopolis combines various areas of activity in an unusual way. Guests will easily find restaurants with Italian, Japanese or Mediterranean cuisine or cafes with freshly baked bread, best quality desserts and aromatic coffee. For theater and art lovers, Monopolis offers to admire unique paintings, sculptures, photographs or posters in the ARTgallery and to visit the Monopolis Stage, where ArtKombinat perform their plays. Monopolis also invites families with children to Monosfera, where the youngest under the supervision of qualified staff can develop their passions and learn new things. Fans of the industrial history may visit the Museum of the Spot where the history of vodka production process together with the story of Łódź vodka monopoly is explained.
Monopolis was awarded two prestigious awards in 2020: Prime Property 2020 in the ARCHITECTURE category and the MIPIM Awards 2020, known as the architectural Oscars, in the mixed-use development category.
Useful links:
Monopolis Website
Monopolis Scene website
