Plato Contemporary Art Gallery – Ostrava, Czech Republic
Title
Plato Contemporary Art Gallery – Ostrava, Czech Republic
Designed by
KWK Promes | Robert Konieczny
Website Source
Project Description
The main idea of the project is based on maintaining the functionality of the openings as shortcuts connecting the building to the city. Hence the idea that their new infills could rotate and open the exhibition rooms directly to the outside. This has provided artists and curators with entirely new exhibition possibilities and allows art to literally 'go out' into the space around the building. Mobility has meant that culture, in the broadest sense, has the potential to become more democratic, as well as accessible to new audiences. We were involved not only in saving the former slaughterhouse building, but also in the design of the outdoor areas even though this was not our task. We convinced the authorities to abandon the concrete paving. The contaminated soil there was rehabilitated and replaced by a biodiverse park with water-permeable floors, flower meadows and with retention basins. The layout of the greenery refers to the location of the buildings that once supported the slaughterhouse, and edible crops, also inside the gallery, complete the transformation of the site. The result is an inclusive space that sensitises not only to art but also to environmental issues.
