Built over a century ago on the banks of the Chrudimka River, the massive flour mills in the centre of Pardubice in the Czech Republic have undergone a radical transformation in the 21st century from what was once an industrial facility to a vibrant culture hub. Recognized as a national cultural monument, the fortress-like building complex has been recently renovated under the auspices of the Automatic Mills Foundation with the help of several architects, including Czech practice Prokš Přikryl architekti who were responsible for converting the imposing grain silo into a multipurpose events and art venue. Thoroughly reconfigured to cater to the brief’s cultural and social aspirations, the building has nevertheless retained its industrial heritage and architectural quirkiness thanks to the team’s seamless integration of old and new elements. Boasting a rooftop bar with views of the city, the revamped silo is a vibrant part of Automatic Mills and the city at large.

Built in 1909 and extended in 1924 with the addition of the grain silo, the mills operated continuously for more than 100 years until 2013. Located near the city’s picturesque centre, a medley of late-Renaissance Baroque and Neo-Gothic architecture, the industrial complex may have seen to be out of place if it wasn’t for Josef Gočár, one of the founders of modern architecture in the Czech Republic, whose fanciful design includes rusticated ground floors. brick facades in various geometric patterns and crenelated rooftops. So when it came to the building’s renovation, the team stayed true to Gočár’s design, painstakingly restoring the original brick façades.

The only major intervention to the building’s exterior was the removal of several wall sections on the ground floor to create a semi-outdoor public space seamlessly connected with the public plaza outside. This bold gesture also revealed the pyramidical bottom part of the concrete grain bins which now function as a sculptural canopy.

Extending four storeys in height, the grain silos have been turned into a sui generis art space consisting of a series of interconnected bunker-like rooms. Accessible via steel grating walkways, the ambiently lit space is suitable for art shows as much as meditation sessions. On the fifth floor, the double-height space, the only one with windows, now serves as a multipurpose hall hosting theatre plays, lectures, concerts and social events, while with the addition of a concrete and steel pavilion, the rooftop is now home to an outdoor bar enjoying panoramic views of the mills, the river and the city.

Underpinned by a muted palette of grey, white and metallic tones, the interior modifications are thoughtfully restrained, with colour confined to the red brick facades. The materials used in the new additions seamlessly blend in with the original building fabric, seen in the use of exposed concrete for the new floors and structures, galvanized steel for the staircases, railings and doors, and white tiles for the bathrooms.

The renewed interiors convey a sense of cool sophistication thanks to the dynamic interplay between the fine detailing of the additions and the weathered state of the original concrete surfaces which have been intentionally left intact including various drill holes and scars left by the demolished partition walls. The resulting tapestry of textures evocatively ushers in a new era, fusing the past with the present, celebrating the century-old building’s timely rebirth.