The mill equipment will be part of the gallery in Pardubice

Pardubice - The Pardubice Region will have seven original devices from the Pardubice automatic mills restored. They will be part of the gallery interiors that will be created in the oldest building of the mill complex, the regional government announced in a press release.

The region is renovating the main building of the mill for the needs of the East Bohemian Gallery. The original devices, which for example ground flour, need to be cleaned, preserved, and subsequently placed in the interiors.

"Certain remnants of functional milling technologies will remain in the interiors of the future gallery. Some of them are artistically very interesting, and a spiral chute for flour will be the centerpiece of the future café. The transmission will be suspended from the ceiling of the entrance hall," said Deputy Governor Roman Línek (Coalition for the Pardubice Region).

Most of the mill exhibits will be in non-functional condition. For some, it will be necessary to supplement missing parts, preserve surfaces, and secure them against visitor injury. This includes alarm bells with accessories and a pump for the fire protection system.

In the gallery, visitors will see two flour chutes, one made of laminate and the other made of wood. The motor of the transmission, along with the cabling, steel bases, and rheostat, will also be preserved.

"Two exhibits will be partially functional. The sieving machine will gain a new position in the interior and can be manually operated under expert supervision. It was used in the mill to sift and sort flour. The funnel with transport piping for grain will have a newly added function as a light," said architect Petr Všetečka.

The Pardubice Region purchased part of the national heritage from the Smetana couple, which consists of the original mill building designed by architect Josef Gočár and a later extension from the late 1950s or 1960s.

The renovation of the main building for the East Bohemian Gallery will cost the region 373 million crowns, and it is expected to be completed in 2022. The regional government will receive 110 million crowns from European funds and 13 million crowns from the state for this project. The region could start renovating the rear section as early as after 2024.