Culture is a weapon. That is certainly true here at Fábrica Braço de Prata. This place stands as one of Lisbon’s most relevant cultural centers. It champions Portuguese artists and thrives without subsidies.
Fábrica Braço de Prata, or FBP, began its life in 1908. Initially, it was the Fábrica de Projecteis de Artilharia. It primarily manufactured artillery ammunition. It was dependent on the Arsenal do Exército then. Later, with the Arsenal’s extinction, the factory gained independence within the Ministério da Guerra.
Over time, Fábrica Braço de Prata expanded its production. It began making other military equipment besides artillery ammunition. Consequently, its name changed to Fábrica Militar de Munições, Armas e Veículos. Eventually, it became known as Fábrica Militar de Braço de Prata or simply Fábrica Braço de Prata.
The FBP reached its peak during the Guerra do Ultramar. It produced hundreds of thousands of automatic rifles, mortars, machine guns, and ammunition. This equipped the Portuguese Armed Forces. At the same time, it exported equipment, mainly to Germany.
Several famous products came from Fábrica Braço de Prata’s production lines. Some were even named with its acronym, FBP. These included the 9 mm FBP submachine gun designed and manufactured here. Also, the 7.62 mm G3 automatic rifle was made under license. The 7.62 m HK21 machine gun was also produced under license. The 60 mm FBP mortar was designed and manufactured by FBP.
The 9 mm Lusa submachine gun was designed by FBP. However, it was never mass-produced by them. Instead, the license was sold.
Later, the FBP joined the state-owned defense industries group, INDEP. It was deactivated in the 1990s.
In June 2007, part of the old factory transformed. It became the Fábrica Braço de Prata. This is a private cultural center. It includes bookstores, exhibition rooms, cinemas, a theatre, and a music hall.
The story of Fábrica Braço de Prata took an interesting turn. Nuno Nabais, after closing his philosophy bookstore in Bairro Alto, learned about the old factory. At the time, a construction company owned the property. They wanted to build a luxury neighborhood. They planned to use the factory as a sales center. After construction, the building would be donated to Lisbon’s City Hall.
However, in 2007, construction was halted. The old factory became vacant. Nuno proposed using the building temporarily. He received a verbal agreement. This agreement would end when construction resumed.
Construction resumed when António Costa became president of Lisbon’s City Hall in 2009. By then, Fábrica Braço de Prata had become a renowned cultural space. It gained recognition both in the city and internationally.
Lisbon’s City Hall intervened to protect the project. This protection would last until the building became City Hall property. However, the construction company went bankrupt. The factory ended up in the hands of a bank. The bank now plans to sell the building.
To this day, Fábrica Braço de Prata remains a unique cultural space in Lisbon. It is a place where the weapon of struggle is culture. This is a noble weapon indeed.
Here, you can access culture at affordable prices. It’s a great choice for a night out. It’s in a safe area with parking. You can also enjoy a good, reasonably priced dinner. Fábrica Braço de Prata is truly a place that deserves to be visited and recognized.