Our studio Kamil Mrva Architects was approached, during the design and management stage, of the proposed redesign of both the exterior and the interior space, of the Faculty of Arts building. The original design by architect Sládeček had been revised by KANIA a.s.

This third largest city in the Czech Republic deserves a dignified building for this important education discipline. “Good architecture is always the result of a good civilization, without art and architecture our civilization has no soul.” Frank Lloyd Wright, 1940.

There are two building. First, a concrete cube with a concert hall, with natural materials and exposed construction, reflecting the intellectual dignity of educating art students. Perimeter walls made of double-sided exposed concrete, completed with windows of various shapes and sizes, according to the given functions of the building. In the entrance lobby is a reception with a gallery and space for graphic design, and support services. Illuminated white gallery GAFU [Gallery of Arts Faculty] is intended for the students, alumni and the wider arts-minded public. Upstairs is an exhibition space with views of Ostrava city center.
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The second building has stone and brick walls with and a hanging tubular façade
that responds to the melodies emanating from the faculty of music. During performances, a colourful interactive lighting is designed to interact with the music in the concert hall. The metal construction is a reminder of the local industrial activity and at the same time their appearance brings to mind musical instruments. An open atrium with a glass roof is created at the centre, allowing for communications between classrooms and auditoria, which are equipped with sound damping acoustics. There are also 24/7 rehearsal rooms, and, on the ground floor, glass auditoria in direct contact with the campus surroundings.

The interior of the entire complex is minimalist, a blank canvas to showcase art works produced by students and graduates, inside and outside of the building. At the heart of the building is a chamber concert hall, designed with nature in mind, with special spatial and surface acoustics. Between the two new faculty buildings is now a park, with a historic plane tree at its core.