The reconstruction of the former town slaughterhouse is coming to an end and will be followed by a significant transformation of public space in their vicinity, which will begin in April 2022 and will be completed in the autumn of this year. The space under construction will take into account the historical context, offer a pleasant place full of greenery for spending free time, but will also include historical elements that were found during the excavation work associated with the reconstruction of the slaughterhouse. The construction contractor will be K2 stavební Moravia. Reconstruction costs will exceed CZK 38,416,000. As in the case of the slaughterhouse itself, the author of the design is the architect Robert Konieczny, the technical part of the project documentation was prepared by the Ostrava MS-projection, landscaping by Denisa Tomášková.
“We have started the acceptance procedure for the slaughterhouse, so the building could be approved according to the plan at the end of April 2022, and we are continuing the demanding reconstruction of the building by revitalizing its surroundings. From the original visualizations, many may remember that the slaughterhouse building was surrounded by a large concrete plate, so it was an open task for us. In agreement with the representatives of the PLATO gallery, we requested a natural solution for the site. Robert Konieczny, as the author of the slaughterhouse design, took on the task and projected not only the expectations of the city and our gallery, but also a piece of history. Don’t expect a traditional concept, a neat square or a classic city park,” said Deputy Mayor Zuzana Bajgarová.
In the past, the area was built with buildings that were part of the slaughterhouse and operated here until 1965, when the activities of the slaughterhouse moved to the meat processing plant in Martinov. The buildings around the slaughterhouse were demolished, leaving a heterogeneous terrain with various surfaces without an aesthetic appearance. The optical division of outdoor space in the form of paths and sidewalks refers to the arrangement of already demolished buildings that were part of the slaughterhouse in the past. The threshing paths and sidewalks that connect the building of the future Plato Gallery with Porážková, Janáčkova and Masná streets. There is an application for historic slag cubes, which were found during excavation work around the slaughterhouse. Part of the taxiways will be made of grassy seepage grids. The space will be filled with lots of greenery in the form of lawns, planting meadows, meadow herbs, shrubs and trees. The planting of the whole area will take place gradually, the proposed trees will be planted in the autumn period, when the time is better for their planting. There is also a water area in the form of a small lake, a habitat abundantly planted with aquatic plants. Two underground storage tanks will be used for watering the greenery, which will collect water from the roofs of the slaughterhouse building. The slaughterhouse building is located lower than the surrounding terrain. In order to prevent rainwater from flowing into the gallery during heavy or longer rains, the entire space is drained by a drainage system, which drains rainwater into the above-mentioned storage tanks.
The public space includes five parking spaces (one of which is for the disabled). To increase comfort, there will be two drinking fountains. The space will be supplemented by three pieces of concrete historical bollards, found during excavation work associated with the reconstruction of the slaughterhouse building itself. The whole area is designed as a pedestrian zone. Plato Gallery intends to use it for its various activities. At the same time, the area will also serve the general public as a place of rest and relaxation. Thanks to the modification of the surroundings of the slaughterhouse building, not only the Ostrava public will get another interesting place to spend their free time.
The city of Ostrava continues to develop the entire locality. A public contract is currently underway to select a contractor for the construction of the extended Masné Street, the aim of which is to connect Janáčkova and Stodolní Streets. A joint permit is currently underway.
