Among the most intensively studied systems in molecular biology is the eukaryotic transcriptional apparatus, which expresses genes in a regulated manner across hundreds of different cell types. Several studies over the past few years have added weight to the concept that transcription takes place within discrete 'transcription factories' assembled inside the cell nucleus. These studies apply innovative technical approaches to gain insights into the molecular constituents, dynamical behaviour and organizational regulators of transcription factories, providing exciting insights into the spatial dimension of transcriptional control.