A decommissioned production hall in Brno now holds exhibitions, and it still looks like a factory. Architecture studio KOGAA converted the building into ŠMERAL ART FACTORY, a cultural venue in the Czech Republic that serves as an adaptive reuse factory brno. The project forms part of the studio’s Making Use research initiative, which tests how existing buildings can take on new roles.
The hall stands on the bank of the Svitava River, inside the historic Šmeral industrial complex at Křenová 261/65c. The team kept the site’s structure and materials on view, so the building’s industrial identity is maintained in this factory conversion.
Steel and metal bring daylight into the galleries of the Brno venue
Visitors approach along the riverside cycle and pedestrian path. The route passes the Šmeral Graffiti Wall, which is Brno’s first designated legal graffiti wall, before reaching the factory yard.
The original steel framework remains in place. Overhead ventilation ducts were also retained and folded into the active air distribution network. Services stay easy to trace, because the ducts are not hidden behind new finishes.
Converting an old industrial shell into a cultural venue is a familiar strategy, and OMA’s rethink of a historic Houston coffee plant shows how much character a former production building can keep. Houston coffee plant turned music and arts academy offers a useful comparison.
Original light fixtures were refurbished and fitted with LED components. Alexis Raverdy handled that refurbishment, according to the project credits.
A new roof skin of corrugated metal sheeting mirrors the building’s original envelope. Enlarged roof lights were cut into the structure. Dead load, the permanent weight of the building itself, drops with this arrangement, and the openings pull natural daylight deep into the hall.
A black core holds the amenities
Inside this building, the interior was cleared out. White walls run along the hall’s edges and carry the exhibitions, leaving the floor open for changing displays.
A freestanding volume sits at the centre and handles circulation and services. From outside, it reads as a solid white block that houses the reception, a bar and additional display surfaces. Inside, the block turns black and contains the visitor facilities.
The reception desk has a corrugated profile. Workers fabricated it on site, along with other custom millwork, in the Šmeral workshops.
Outdoors, an operational historic stamping press stands beside open-air artworks. Roof trims, chimneys and window reveals receive a heritage factory-green finish, which ties this adaptive reuse to the site’s industrial palette.
The Brno hall’s industrial palette also appears in Studio KO’s Tashkent project, where a historic tram depot becomes an art center. Tashkent tram depot revived as industrial art center is worth a look for its handling of raw industrial interiors.
Credits and photography
The KOGAA design team includes Zoja Doupovcová, Markéta Landová and Kinga Sredzinska. Lead architects Tomáš Kozelský, Viktor Odstrčilík and Alexandra Georgescu guided the project. Photography is by ©Alex Shoots Buildings.
- Architect: KOGAA, @kogaa_studio
- Client: ŠMERAL ART FACTORY, @smeralartfactory
- Bar and doors: Šmeral Brno
- Refurbishment of original light fixtures: Alexis Raverdy
- Location: Křenová 261/65c, Brno, Czech Republic
- Photographer: @alex.shoots.buildings
As a reworked factory, the hall keeps its steel, its metal skin and its factory green. Anyone who walks through the galleries passes the building’s working history on the way to the art.
Sources & Links
Frequently asked questions
Where is the ŠMERAL ART FACTORY located in Brno?
The venue sits on the bank of the Svitava River, inside the historic Šmeral industrial complex at Křenová 261/65c in Brno, Czech Republic.
Who designed the ŠMERAL ART FACTORY conversion in Brno?
Architecture studio KOGAA converted the decommissioned production hall into the cultural venue. Lead architects Tomáš Kozelský, Viktor Odstrčilík and Alexandra Georgescu guided the project.
What original industrial features were kept in the converted factory hall?
The team kept the original steel framework and overhead ventilation ducts in place. The ducts were folded into the active air distribution network and are not hidden behind new finishes.
What is the freestanding central volume in the galleries used for?
A freestanding volume at the centre handles circulation and services. It houses the reception, a bar and additional display surfaces from outside, and its interior is black and contains the visitor facilities.
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