Automatic mills in Pardubice are set for further construction development

Pardubice – The Automatic Mills in Pardubice are set for further construction development. In the coming years, new buildings with apartments, shops, and services will be built there. Investor Lukáš Smetana told ČTK today. The area has recently become a cultural quarter, and after ten years since the end of the milling operations, two galleries and an educational center were opened to the public today.

"The area is currently not complete. There is an open side street, the second phase will close it off, creating a nice environment. It will also protect the surrounding buildings from cultural noise. The area will have a multifunctional purpose," said Smetana. Construction is expected to start next year, lasting about three years, and at the turn of this year and next, the office will likely issue the building permit, added Smetana, who is an architect by profession.

Lukáš Smetana lived with his family in Prague when architect Zdeněk Balík approached him and informed him about the automatic mills that were for sale. Smetana and his wife Mariana bought them at auction in 2016 for 22 million crowns. "Which was purely an economic matter for me. I love renovations; I studied renovations. It wasn't about wanting to save it and be a patron. I had to come to terms with that after a few years of ownership," Smetana told ČTK.

The architect and his wife first negotiated with the city and the region to lease part of the area, and later agreed to sell it to the local governments. Pardubice purchased the former flour warehouse for 15.5 million crowns; this also included a project. Now, there is an educational center called Sféra and a city gallery.

The region bought the main building of the mill for 21 million crowns, renovated it, and placed the East Bohemia Gallery inside, which has been named Gočár's Gallery since January. The name refers to the architect Josef Gočár, who designed the mills in the first decade of the 20th century. The mills have been a national cultural monument since 2014. The heritage protection does not apply to parts that were created later and are not Gočár's work.

"The mills have been fortunate since the beginning because they were designed by Gočár. Even during the totalitarian era, nothing destroyed the building. In October 1989, neighboring properties were being purchased; a 50-meter giant silo was supposed to be built here, but the revolution prevented that, which would have destroyed the mills. The millers then took almost all the technology away. If it had been listed as a national cultural monument along with that technology, it would have just become a museum of grain milling," said Smetana.

The reconstruction of the entire area is the work of the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The Automatic Mills Foundation, established by the Smetanas, renovated the former silo and also the public spaces. The silo houses an office and an information center, and there is an elevator on the ground floor that takes visitors up to where the exhibition rooms, a multifunctional hall, and an observation terrace are located.

The costs for converting the silo amounted to 104 million crowns, with European grants reaching 70 million crowns. The state budget contributed 8.2 million crowns. The Automatic Mills Foundation paid 25.8 million crowns. The entire area, including all buildings, retains its original industrial character, dominated by brick color.

"All public financial resources were invested into the square and the park; I did not buy a Ferrari or a yacht with that. We treat it with respect. Only history will show whether our architectural approach was correct," said Smetana.