Ostrava's revitalized historic slaughterhouse is the Czech representative in a prestigious European competition
The former city slaughterhouse, dating from the 19th century, has been completely transformed by a bold project to convert it into a new home for Ostrava's PLATO contemporary art gallery. The project has now been chosen as the sole Czech representative in the shortlist of nominations for the Mies van der Rohe Award. The finalists will be announced in early February, and the award ceremony will be held in May 2024 at Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion.
The reconstructed former slaughterhouse. Photograph: City of Ostrava
The EU’s Mies van der Rohe Award (EUMies) is given once every two years. The jury selects from a shortlist of nominated buildings designed by architects from European countries (not only EU member states). The prize was first awarded in 1988, and the most recent EUMiesAward (2022) went to the British studio Grafton Architects for its Town House at Kingston University. Ostrava's slaughterhouse is the first ever Czech building to reach the final stages of the competition.
Work on the reconstruction project took place from 2020 to 2022. The design was created by the KWK Promes studio, headed by the Polish architect Robert Konieczny. The project was inspired by the spirit of “moving architecture”: unique rotating walls change the spatial perception of the interiors, bringing visitors closer to both the building and the exhibited works.