The Pardubice Region wants to buy part of the Gočárova Mills

photo: Zdeněk Pražák

Pardubice - The Pardubice regional authority is negotiating with the owner of the protected Automatic Mills about the purchase of the main building. It would serve the needs of the East Bohemian Gallery. The CTK reported this today from Governor Martin Netolický (ČSSD). The regional authority did not disclose the price being negotiated.

"We would like to buy the main historic building from the owner and, with the help of European funds, adapt it for gallery purposes," said the governor.

The region is negotiating with Lukáš Smetana, who, with his wife, bought the area that is largely designed by architect Josef Gočár last March. The regional authority wants the multi-story building by the river, and its use as a gallery seems ideal to Smetana.

"Initially, I had more of a long-term lease in mind, but if we agree on the sale of this building, I would like to retain some form of protective hand to ensure the whole project goes well," stated architect Smetana, who will remain the owner of the silos and all other buildings.

Negotiations are in the early stages, and the regional council must also express its opinion on a potential purchase. "The mills are a brownfield site in the middle of the city and especially since it is a national cultural monument, it is not a good showcase. The spaces are ideal for modern art, for example," said the governor.

The East Bohemian Gallery is located in the economic wing of the Pardubice Castle and also has the House at Jonah's on Pernštýn Square available for exhibitions. Even at the time of the region's establishment in 2001, its representatives were thinking about a new building for the gallery. They wanted to build it on the site of a former school, which the region ultimately repaired and is now using.

The relocation of the regional gallery from the castle area was proposed by architects Ladislav Lábus, Josef Pleskot, and Petr Všetečka, who are working on the future use of the castle. Instead of a gallery in the economic part of the castle, according to the architects, there could be a visitor center and exhibitions of the East Bohemian Museum.

If the region buys the main building of Gočár's mills, it will not jeopardize the project of polytechnic workshops for elementary schools that the city of Pardubice wishes to place there, the governor added.