Acronym Collective Studio Converts Former Brewery into Community Centre in Velká Bíteš

Key facts

• Acronym Collective Studio transformed a former brewery in Velká Bíteš, near Brno, Czech Republic, into a community centre.
• The building, named Kulturní Centrum Pivovar or Brewery Cultural Centre, contains a library, information centre, family centre, multi-purpose community hall, and creative workshop spaces.
• The original building operated as a brewery until 1942, then was converted into storage and later apartments in the 1960s.
• Architect Pavel Gebauer stated that the transformation aimed to reinstate the building's civic presence, which had been weakened by alterations over the years.
• The main entrance was relocated to the rounded corner facing the square, fundamentally changing the building's engagement with the city.
• The centre features a curved, perforated brick facade, a spiral concrete staircase, and a full-height internal window that draws light into the first-floor library.
• The lower level's former vaulted cellars contain an exhibition space and creative workshop areas, illuminated by arched windows opening onto a small courtyard.
• The top floor houses a multi-purpose community hall beneath a gabled roof of timber slats, with grey curtains for enclosure.
• The interior palette is deliberately restrained, using exposed concrete, masonry, and pale timber for durability and ease of maintenance.
• The photography is by Alex Shoots Buildings.