Automatic Mills – the new facility of the Gočár Gallery
Automatic Mills – the new facility of the Gočár Gallery
The East Bohemian Gallery in Pardubice began writing a new phase of its history
“Since the establishment of the East Bohemian Gallery in 1953, this is the biggest impulse for its development and an absolute turning point in its functioning, ” said Roman Línek, Deputy Governor for Investment and Culture.
A brief history of the Automatic Mills
The building with façades of red and grey non-plastered bricks in the style of geometric modernism standing on the bank of the Chrudimka River was designed by architect Josef Gočár (1880–1945) in 1910–1911. In June 1919, the mill burnt down, and its reconstruction was again assigned to Josef Gočár. In 1922, during the reconstruction, the mill room was enlarged, a water tower was added, and the grain silos building was connected to the original building by an elegant arch. The mill ceased to serve its purpose in 2012,
and a new use was then sought for the buildings, which were shortly afterwards, in 2014, declared a national cultural monument. In 2016 Smetana family members bought the premises with the intention of primarily using the historic building for cultural purposes. The Pardubice region purchased the main building of the former Winternitz Mills from architect Lukáš Smetana in 2018. The conversion of this most valuable building on the site into the future Gočár Gallery began on 19 May 2020.
Winternitz Automatic Mills, photo: čarokraj.cz
Photo: Tomáš Kubelka, čarokraj.cz
WAM
Photo: Michal Kudláček, Gočár Gallery
Follow the transformation of this exceptional building with us and look forward to the new facility of the Gočár Gallery.
The Pardubice region together with the government worked on a new facility for the regional gallery following the establishment of the regions, shortly after 2000. Initially, the construction of a new modern building was considered, for which the then government promised to release CZK 250 million. These plans were eventually abandoned, and the whole matter was again discussed in connection with the restoration of the Pardubice Château, the facility of the East Bohemian Museum, whose rich cultural
and exhibition activities require the premises that are currently used by the gallery as well. The idea of using the main building of the Winternitz Automatic Mills for the gallery was brought up by Roman Línek’s advisory architectural group. The premises were at that time owned by the Smetana family.
The path to the new gallery project was quite complicated. The Pardubice region could not invest in someone else’s property, and the owners did not wish to sell the main building at first, preferring a long-term lease. “In the end, we reached an agreement, and the Regional Council approved the purchase, with the proviso that the region would proceed according to the basic project prepared for the original owner by architect Petr Všetečka and on which architect Josef Pleskot also participated as a consultant. It is certainly a good thing that Petr Všetečka succeeded in the public tender announced by the Pardubice region for the documentation for the construction, ” Roman Línek summarised the individual stages.
Two of the Automatic Mills buildings were declared a national cultural monument several years earlier, so it was possible to apply for European subsidies for the reconstruction. The key moment was the meeting of the Regional Council in April 2018. At that time, the purchase of the main building of the mills for the gallery was approved, and the whole project was given the green light.
TRANSAT architects consisting of Petr Všetečka, Robert Václavík, Tereza Novotná, Karel Menšík and Kajetán Všetečka designed the appearance of the regional gallery to meet the needs of the 21st century. The studio, for example, is behind the recently opened Tomáš Baťa Memorial in Zlín and other extraordinary reconstructions. In recent years, Petr Všetečka has been nominated for the Architect of the Year Award. “The Gočár Mill is like a grain of wheat: the kernel is protected by a hard husk. The question of how to add new content to the building without diluting it has been with us for the past three years, when we have been working on the restoration project, ” Petr Všetečka commented on this work and continued: “We embraced its monumental play of horizontals and verticals, in which architectural composition intersected with milling technology. We supported its internal upward gradation, which should give the gallery a boost. We designed environmentally friendly security, indoor climate and lighting technologies for the 21st century in a building that is an important monument as well. We tried not to break the truth of materials, typical for industrial buildings and the birth of Czech modernism. Hopefully, the building will be a strong gallery, as it was a strong mill.”
In recent years, thanks to the support of its founder, the Regional Gallery focused on acquiring major works of art from the Czech art scene from the second half of the 20th century with the goal of preparing attractive exhibitions in the new exhibition spaces.
The building as an exhibit
“This is one of the biggest investments of the Pardubice region, and it concerns a building that is a national cultural monument. That is why we were working with the conservationists all along. The advantage is that the authorial supervision is performed by the author of the project, architect Petr Všetečka, who has great experience with monuments, ” said Roman Línek, Deputy Governor for Investment and Culture. “We are aware that the art exhibits will not only be on the walls and in the gallery premises, but the biggest exhibit will be the building itself, ” Línek added.
The contract was awarded to the Company for the Restoration of Automatic Mills in Pardubice, the association of Metrostav a.s. and Chládek a Tintěra Pardubice a.s., which started the construction on 19 May 2020.
“It started with the fact that the workers of the contractor companies had to gently dismantle the preserved elements of the milling technology, such as the flour chutes, scalper, basket elevators, parts of the stable fire extinguishing system, transmission motor and elements. Precise documentation was made so that at the end of the construction we could reinstall the selected elements as permanent exhibits of the future gallery, ” described architect Petr Všetečka.
The non-original extensions and built-in facilities disappear
The investor’s intention is to clear the main building of all non-original extensions, built-in facilities and shelters. The work is, therefore, also continuing with demolition and dismantling. “We decided to keep the original windows, which were dismantled and taken away for refurbishment. We will also use the original stair treads from the extension, which will return inside the building. We are all looking forward to seeing the clean Gočár building emerge from the grip of the annexes, with its jagged façade and transition to a silo that evokes the then-popular discovery of the remains of the Ishtar Gate in ancient Babylon, ” Línek said.
The East Bohemian Gallery in Pardubice will be named after architect Josef Gočár
At the end of 2022 the East Bohemian Gallery in Pardubice will celebrate 70 years of its existence
and enter the new year of 2023 with a new name, the Gočár Gallery.
Summer 2023 is the target date
“The total expenditure of the project is currently CZK 399 million. We have now pledged 127.7 million from European funds, with a further almost 7.5 million secured from national public funds. The construction itself will be completed by August 2022, and the installation of the internal equipment, AT technology, acoustic elements and, last but not least, the implementation of the expositions will then take place. We expect the gallery to open to the public in mid-2023, ” Línek concluded on the region’s plans.
More detailed information on the relics:
Electric motor with pump
Electric motor
Transmission
Funnel with transport piping
Wooden flour chute
Sprinkler alarm with accessories
Seeder