The Pardubice Region has announced an architectural competition for the expansion of the Gočár Gallery

Pardubice - The Pardubice Region is preparing the second phase of the reconstruction of the Gočár Gallery in Pardubice, which is located in the former area of the automatic mills. An international architectural competition has been announced for it. The region will convert the flour silo for the needs of the gallery, where offices are to be created, the press release stated.

The gallery was established in the automatic mills designed by architect Josef Gočár, which had been abandoned since 2013. In the autumn of last year, two galleries, polytechnic workshops called Sféra, and the community center Silo, opened to the public after renovations.

The Gočár Gallery is located in the reconstructed main building. The regional gallery features exhibition halls, entrance areas, a café, and a library. Additional spaces will be created in the former flour silo from the 1950s.

"The aim of the current competition is to obtain the best architectural, spatial, operational, and technical proposal for the expansion of the Gočár Gallery's premises. It is not specified to what extent the former flour silo should be preserved structurally, nor how much its shape can change," said the deputy governor Roman Línek (Coalition for the Pardubice Region/Christian Democrats).

The deadline for submitting proposals is August 5. The subsequent construction will depend on the financial and grant possibilities of the region. "Now, when we see a great interest in the mill complex, it is a great opportunity to reach out to architects who could come up with a vision of how to complete the Gočár Gallery's premises," Línek said.

The owner of the Silo community center, who owns a larger part of the area, has further plans for the complex. Investor Lukáš Smetana plans to build new buildings with apartments, shops, and services there. A triangular piazzetta will be created in the new construction.