Proposal for the declaration of the Mosilany site in Brno as a cultural monument

The National Heritage Institute, the regional expert workplace in Brno, submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic to declare the most valuable parts of the former Mosilana textile factory complex in Brno as a cultural monument.
The monumental building ensemble, which includes three original factory sites from the 19th and the first third of the 20th century combined in 1949 into an extensive industrial area, represents one of the characteristic examples of industrial architecture. At the same time, it is the last largely preserved complex from the original numerous set of textile factories that significantly shaped the appearance of Brno in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The former Mosilana complex has not only historical value but also extraordinary architectural and urban value – it is a remarkable result of gradual development of the limited space around the Svitava Canal with monumental production, storage, and administrative buildings often constructed using the then progressive method of monolithic reinforced concrete framework.   
The destruction of the buildings of the former Mosilana textile factory, which is threatened, would cause Brno to lose another significant part of its history, and the process of symbolic erosion of the tangible cultural heritage of the Moravian metropolis, which has taken on a menacing form in recent years also due to the so-called late registrations issue, would be accelerated again.
The original purpose of the historical industrial buildings in the immediate vicinity of the city center has already been largely erased; however, the form that has survived has the potential to determine new content. This is social use, which revitalizes the remnants of the vanished industrial civilization, whether in the area of housing, administrative-technical activities, or services. This transformation in the case of industrial areas and their buildings is called conversion. There are hundreds of examples of successful conversions around the world, adding value for both the public and the owner. They have often become the initiators of the development of entire urban districts and their prosperity. The prerequisite is always a consensus, respecting the public interest in protecting valuable areas with the active role of an enlightened municipality, simultaneously accommodating the interests of sustainable, economically beneficial development.
The former Mosilana complex is now at a symbolic crossroads. Against the owner's attempt to completely demolish the existing complex stands not only the National Heritage Institute and citizens' interest associations but also representatives of the City of Brno itself. The goal is to save at least the most valuable part of the significant ensemble and integrate it into the fabric of the modern city.
The National Heritage Institute, which prepared the proposal for the declaration of the site as a cultural monument based on a detailed analysis of the values of the area, is convinced that the rescue and functional conversion of the most valuable historical buildings of the Mosilana complex will contribute to the further development of the city, proud of its industrial heritage.

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