Part of the former Mosilana is to be a cultural monument, the Ministry of Culture has decided.

Brno - The Ministry of Culture has decided that part of the former Mosilana textile factory complex in Brno will be a cultural monument. Heritage protection officials submitted a proposal to the ministry three years ago. Now the participants in the proceedings have a deadline until the end of July for any potential appeals, said ministry spokesperson Petra Hrušová to ČTK. The media representative of the developer, Jiří Filip, told ČTK that the document from the ministry has many dozens of pages, which the company is analyzing this week. They will find out what exactly is to be protected as a monument, and only then will they take a position.

The heritage officials sent the proposal to the ministry after the development company Financial Consortium requested permission to demolish the entire complex located between Vlhká, Křenová, Špitálka streets, and the railway line, which it planned to transform into a modern residential district. At that time, not only the heritage officials opposed it, but also the city. The complex is a monumental architectural ensemble that includes three original factory complexes from the 19th and early 20th centuries, merged in 1949 into an extensive industrial unit. It represents one of the characteristic industrial architectures. "At the same time, it is the last predominantly preserved complex from the original number of textile factories that significantly shaped the appearance of Brno in the 19th and 20th centuries," the heritage officials stated three years ago. At that time, Brno also suspended changes to the zoning plan.

In response, in 2022, the developer brought architects into the plans for the future of the complex, whose task was to propose how to transform it so that it would gain new life while preserving the uniqueness of the location. "The winning design appealed to the heritage officials and Brno, we have the opportunity to take various elements from all architectural studies," said Filip. After resolving the heritage protection issue, the developer will also have to deal with how the new zoning plan will look, which Brno is expected to complete next year. According to Filip, it will be important for the nature of the complex how much space the new city boulevard will ultimately take, which could reduce the area by up to one hectare. Currently, the developer has a demolition order for all buildings but cannot demolish those that are undergoing the process of being declared a monument. In June, the demolition of the chimney began, and it is also possible to demolish various later appendages of the buildings that will not be protected as monuments.

According to the heritage officials, although the factory buildings no longer serve their original purpose, there are examples worldwide of hundreds of successful conversions where buildings remain preserved, owners repair them, and they successfully serve a new purpose. There are several such examples in Brno as well. Nearby, some buildings of the former Zbrojovka are becoming part of the modern New Zbrojovka complex.