Automatic Mills

AUTOMATIC MILLS - history of the site

Automatic Mills is located in the centre of Pardubice, near the castle and the historic part of the city. Originally, it was an industrial complex, designed in 1910 by architect Josef Gočár for the Winternitz brothers. Until 2013, it operated as a flour production facility. After its closure, the Automatic Mills became a brownfield and was added to the list of national cultural monuments.

In 2015, the complex was purchased at a public auction by the Smetana family, who intended to use only part of the Automatic Mills, the so-called grain silo and the associated public space.

The mill building was purchased from them by the Pardubice Region in 2017 with the intention of placing part of the East Bohemian Gallery here (today the Gočár Gallery).

In the same year, the statutory city of Pardubice obtained the building of the former flour warehouse (part of a cultural monument). After its complete renovation, it became home to the Pardubice City Gallery (GAMPA) and the SPHERE educational centre.

Automatic Mills integrated solution

Based on the agreement between the owners of the individual buildings, the reconstruction of the area was included in the Automatic Mills integrated solution, which was largely financed from ITI (integrated territorial investments = EU funds intended for the development of large cities and their surroundings).

The integrated solution consists of 4 projects: Silo and parterre of the Automatic Mills Foundation, Gočár Gallery of the Pardubice Region, Central Polytechnic Workshops – SPHERE, and the Pardubice City Gallery of the statutory city of Pardubice.

The reconstruction of the area took place in 2021-2023. All projects had a common building permit and a coordinated construction plan. In the subsequent subsidy period 2021-2027, another project was implemented, which included the purchase of equipment for the SPHERE educational centre.

INTEGRATED PROJECTS

SILO

• making the entire building accessible, including the roof with a view of the city
• exhibition spaces
• multipurpose hall for cultural activities
• public space – parterre and piazzetta

GOČÁR GALLERY

• facilities for visitors
• exhibition spaces, depositories
• multipurpose hall
• studio for educational programs

EDUCATIONAL CENTRE SPHERE

• 4 classrooms with premium equipment (biology; chemistry; physics; robotics and PC graphics)
• 4 workshops (metal/electricity, graphics, textiles, wood)
• Science On a Sphere – spherical projection system with data projection technology onto a spherical projection surface with a diameter of 2 m
• “Children’s World” hall
• supplementing the teaching of all types of schools from the Hradec Kralove - Pardubice agglomeration
• public education – in the afternoons and at the weekends, courses focused on handicrafts and specialised lectures are held here

GAMPA - PARDUBICE CITY GALLERY

• exhibition spaces
• residential studios
• an outdoor amphitheatre and a terrace designed for meeting people