The complex of Josef Gočár's Automatic Mills in Pardubice is reborn as a cultural and educational hub. An intervention that intertwines industrial memory and contemporary vision, returning vibrant and inclusive public spaces to the city.
Disused in 2013 and declared a national monument the following year, the Winternitz Automatic Mills complex has been the focus of a comprehensive urban regeneration project led by Šépka architekti. The goal: to integrate the historic architecture of Gočár with new cultural and educational functions. The result is a triangle of strategic urban spaces connecting the Renaissance castle, Perštýn square, and the mills, reshaping the identity of Pardubice.
The removal of some buildings has enhanced the entrance portal and opened up new visual perspectives towards the historic center. Two new squares, different in character and function, redefine the use of the area: the square with plane trees as a place for welcoming and markets, and the Courtyard of the Mills as a dynamic space for concerts, exhibitions, and outdoor theater. The entire area is designed for pedestrians, with brick pathways that strengthen the connection with the original material.
The new volume housing the Pardubice City Gallery (GAMPA) and the Sféra Polytechnic Workshops is developed on the north side of the complex, creating a dialogue between public and educational functions. The gallery serves as a base with a 250-seat roof amphitheater, while Sféra, suspended above, hosts science and technology laboratories for students of all ages. This project is part of a broader landscape of outdoor space projects that combine cultural regeneration and educational innovation.
The concept is based on constructive truth: exposed bricks are load-bearing walls, concrete is structure, corten steel clads the lighter parts. A meticulous color research has unified the surfaces, down to the choice of the right shade of cement, tested with dozens of samples built into the atrium as a memory of the process. Every element, from the concrete lintels to the ventilated panels, contributes to a coherent architectural language that restores dignity and authenticity to the space.
