KOGAA turns Brno industrial shed into Šmeral Art Factory gallery

KOGAA, a Czech architecture firm, has transformed a former industrial shed within the operational Šmeral machinery factories in Brno, Czech Republic, into an exhibition and events venue called Šmeral Art Factory. This initiative is the first completed step in a larger strategy aimed at revitalizing the area and enhancing its connection to the city. The studio maintained the warehouse's industrial essence, painting its steel trusses a soft green, which echoes the original factory finishes and is reflected in wall-mounted chimneys and a performance canopy at the northern end. Additionally, the site boasts Brno's inaugural legal graffiti wall, an event yard, and a long interior space illuminated by a polycarbonate skylight, featuring retrofitted LED metal light fixtures. A central block contains restrooms behind a bar made of white corrugated metal, crafted by Šmeral's turbine manufacturers. Founding partner Alexandra Georgescu highlighted the gallery's potential to drive the complex's gradual evolution, showcasing how targeted, small-scale changes can reveal the possibilities of neglected industrial structures. The project also includes temporary white exhibition walls and steel bars for displaying artwork. Photography credit goes to Alex Shoots Buildings.