KOGAA transforms former industrial hall in Czech Republic into art gallery
Mint-green metal signals the transformation of this former industrial shed in the Czech Republic into Šmeral Art Factory, carried out by local architecture studio KOGAA.
The exhibition and events space occupies a small shed within the complex of the still-operating Šmeral machinery factories in Brno.
It is the first intervention carried out as part of a plan to diversify the area and better connect it to the city.
Local studio KOGAA focused on retaining the industrial quality of the warehouse and giving it "a new public life", painting its existing steel trusses a shade of pale green and using them to frame gallery spaces.
"As the first completed intervention within the wider Šmeral complex, the gallery acts as a catalyst for its gradual transformation," founding partner Alexandra Georgescu told Dezeen.
"More importantly, it demonstrates how even small, strategic interventions can unlock the potential of overlooked industrial buildings," she added. "We hope it encourages neighbouring owners and stakeholders to see existing structures as opportunities rather than obstacles."
The site's boundary is marked by the first legal graffiti wall in Brno, behind which is a generous yard space repurposed for events and temporary installations.
At its northern end, a canopy formed by extending the shed's roof covers a performance area framed in mint-green steelwork, alongside a metal entrance door in a matching shade.
This green tone was chosen as a nod to the green finishes that once defined many of the factory's buildings, and has also been used for a series of wall-mounted chimneys that ventilate the building.
Inside, the Šmeral Art Factory is a single, long space illuminated by a polycarbonate skylight at the apex of its roof.
The original metal light fittings have been hung from its mint-green trusses and refitted with LEDs.
At its centre, a block containing toilets sits behind a long bar clad in white corrugated metal manufactured within the neighbouring Šmeral factory.
"The construction of the indoor bar was carried out by Šmeral's own turbine makers using materials and fabrication techniques from their everyday production," said Georgescu.
"It is a small intervention, but one that captures the project’s ethos: creating new value through local craftsmanship, existing resources and minimal intervention," she added.
A group of temporary white walls were created for the exhibition space at the building's southern end, where narrow steel bars beneath the trusses allow for the installation of hanging works.
Other recent projects that have transformed industrial buildings include Teshima Factory in Japan by Schemata Architects, which saw a disused factory building turned into a cafe and brewery with a turquoise-green colour palette.
The photography is by Alex Shoots Buildings.
The post KOGAA transforms former industrial hall in Czech Republic into art gallery appeared first on Dezeen.
