Conversion as a solution for brownfields and the birth of a unique building

flour warehouse Holešovice

Recipe for an original building? “Take an old unused industrial building and transform it into modern offices, a shopping center, or, for example, a gallery. The result will be a unique space that combines the spirit of the past with the needs of the contemporary modern person.” An ideal, yet often unattainable solution mentioned with exaggeration in the opening sentences of the article, merely points to a major problem faced by many cities. We are talking about the fate of old textile factories, glassworks, barracks, administrative buildings, garages, grain silos, for whose "rescue" representatives of cities, heritage experts, architects, and investors who see conversions as an investment opportunity are trying.

Recycling buildings as a chance for new life
That the conversion of industrial properties in our country leads to interesting projects is evidenced by specific examples such as the Brno shopping center Vaňkovka, the Prague art gallery DOX, or the Prague theater La Fabrika. The latter-mentioned multi-purpose cultural center was created on the footprint of two interconnected factory buildings built in the early last century in Holešovice, the Richter machine works and foundries. Symbolically, this unique space will host the fourth annual professional conference Intersections of Architecture on Tuesday, September 25, with this year’s subtitle “Industrial Heritage between Dreams, Possibilities, and Reality.” Representatives from the municipal sector, public administration, academia, as well as architects and developers will discuss how to deal with industrial heritage and what all that entails. They will present their views and specific experiences regarding the issue of industrial heritage in the context of sustainable development, urban regeneration, and cultural messaging.

Lochkov

The possibilities of redeveloping unused industrial sites will also be discussed by Michal Šourek from MS Development: “The Žižkov freight station and countless other unused industrial sites need conversion. Not conservation! For collections of such scale, it is hardly possible otherwise. For the sake of meaningful revitalization, it is also possible to demolish something, preserving only certain parts of the building structures.”

The issue of brownfields from the perspective of a municipal politician will be highlighted by another guest at the conference, Kladno mayor Dan Jiránek. The city is struggling with ecological burdens associated with the “legacy” of the steelworks and mining activities. Jiránek sees the problem of industrial and other brownfields as one of the priorities of municipal policy. “Neglected, unused, and sometimes even dangerous industrial sites are significant from this perspective; we see them as a threat, but also as an opportunity. In the city itself, you can't build anything big anymore; these industrial locations are, from this viewpoint, a great and sometimes the only opportunity.”

Kladno, photo author: Ing. arch. František Müller

About the possibilities and twists of revitalizing industrial heritage will be discussed at the conference “Intersections of Architecture” by economists from NERV and developers. Topics will also cover the social aspects of this issue, information about heritage care and related legislation, as well as urban planning. There will also be practical examples from the Czech Republic, such as the reconstruction of the hall of the former Kotlárna in Pernerova Street in Prague for modern use and its integration into the newly emerging cultural-administrative center. Examples and experiences from abroad cannot be overlooked.

The conference Intersections of Architecture will take place on September 25, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in the theater hall of La Fabrika in Prague 7 - Holešovice, and will conclude the professional accompanying program of the FOR ARCH fair. A detailed program and an overview of the guest speakers and specific topics can be found on the conference website: www.krizovatkyarchitektury.cz