The owner of the Mosilana complex respects that part of the former factory will be a monument

Brno – A part of the former Mosilana factory in Brno will become a cultural monument. The owner of the area, Financial Consortium, respects the decision of the Ministry of Culture. It recognizes the overall historical significance of the site and the need for the revitalization of this key Brno brownfield, said Jiří Filip, the media representative of the investor, to ČTK. The ministry’s decision has today become legally effective, and three buildings will be so-called "monumentized": the former steam engine room, the former dye house, and a part of the administrative, processing, and storage building facing Špitálka street.

Participants in the proceedings had until the end of July to file an appeal. Filip had previously told ČTK that the company is familiarizing itself with what exactly is to be protected. "The declaration of these structures as cultural monuments is fully respected by the owner of the area, and its conclusions will be included in its long-term plans. The listed buildings will serve cultural, educational, and social purposes," he stated today.

Heritage protectors submitted a proposal to the ministry three years ago after the developer requested permission to demolish the entire area between Vlhká, Křenová, Špitálka streets, and the railway line, which he intended to transform into a modern residential district. At that time, both heritage protectors and the city opposed it. The area is a monumental architectural complex that includes three original factory sites from the 19th and early 20th centuries, merged in 1949 into a vast industrial unit. It represents one of the characteristic industrial architectures. "At the same time, it is the last, largely preserved complex from the originally numerous collection of textile factories that significantly shaped the appearance of Brno in the 19th and 20th centuries," the heritage protectors stated three years ago. Brno also suspended the change of the zoning plan at that time.

"We perceive the overall historical significance of the place, as well as the need for the revitalization of this key Brno brownfield. We are ready to help Brno transform the neglected brownfield into a larger part of the urban center with new opportunities for housing and active life," added Filip. After resolving the heritage protection, the developer will have to deal with what the new zoning plan will look like, which Brno is expected to complete next year. According to Filip, the shape of the area will depend significantly on how much space the new urban boulevard will ultimately take, which could reduce the area by up to one hectare.

According to the heritage protectors, even though the factory buildings no longer serve their purpose, there are examples around the world of hundreds of successful conversions where buildings are preserved, repaired by the owner, and successfully serve a new purpose. There are also several such examples in Brno. Nearby, some buildings of the former Zbrojovka are becoming part of the modern New Zbrojovka complex.