obilní skladiště s přístavbou správní budovy Granary

Welcome to Jihlava, specifically in Špital suburb, where history does not deny only in museums, but on the street. You are standing in front of an impressive construction that is seen as a modern dominant in the landscape of this old town. In front of you is obilní skladiště s přístavbou správní budovy, an object that at first sight captures its mass and clean lines. Although there is a community centre in its interior today, its external appearance still bears traces of its original columns and functions. Look at its hard shapes and reach your mind until there was no place for cultural events but for heavy bags of grain. This building is much more than a building element for the city. It's a witness to the transformations Jihlava has experienced from the interwar period to the present. When you look at it, you feel the kind of weight that objects built in an era carry when industry and agriculture were trying to find new, more effective forms of cooperation.

Let's go back a few decades to 1927, when this building started to rise from the ground. At that time Jihlava was an important centre of agricultural production and trade, and it was at that time that the German agricultural warehouse and economic cooperative was established. It needed a safe and capacity place to store its members' crops. The result was this reinforced concrete colossus which was put into service in 1928. The construction was not a random but carefully thought out response to the needs of time. Iron concrete was then a modern material that made it possible to create large space halls without the need for a dense network of supporting walls. This was crucial for storing large quantities of grain. The three-way arrangement of the building, which you can see from outside today, was a solution to how to use space efficiently while ensuring the stability of the structure. It was a time when agriculture was professionalized and looking for ways to minimize losses and maximize profits, and this building was a symbol of the new era.

Now pay attention to the architectural details surrounding you. The architect who designed this project was Johann Theimer. His name is associated with a number of important constructions of the time, and even here his taste for functionality associated with aesthetic expression is evident. Although the building may seem rather crude today, in 1927 it was considered to be a top example of industrial architecture. Note the proportions and rhythm of the windows that break the smooth surfaces of the facade. This regularity is not only decorative, but reflects the inner logic of the building, where each square metre had its precisely defined purpose. The reinforced concrete structure that holds the whole structure together is hidden under the plaster, but its presence is felt in the strength and endurance of the object. This building was built to withstand decades of heavy traffic, and it really did. The extension of the administrative building provides a whole of asymmetry, which softens the otherwise strict appearance of the main warehouse and suggests that it was not only about stockpiling, but also about the management and administration that preceded it all.

The history of this place is rich in changes that have taken place within it. For decades, it worked as a warehouse, but with time, technology changed. In 1960, there was a partial replacement of machinery, indicating that the building was not a static object but a living organism that adapted to new requirements. Even though the community centre is located here today and people are meeting here for meetings, lectures or cultural events, the walls still remember the sound of falling grain and the roaring of machines. It is fascinating to imagine how people used to move here in clothes from another century, how they watched the level of supplies and how they solved logistical problems that were very difficult for the time being. This building combined the fates of many farmers who entrusted their annual yield here, and their stories are undoubtedly part of Jihlava's history, although specific names are no longer known today.

And now comes the real mystery, the detail that makes this building unique in the whole Czech Republic. If you could look at the sixth floor, you would see something that is technically and architecturally extraordinary. There is a 7-metre Zollbau-type lamellar crov. This type of construction is extremely rare in our parts, if it is not escaped. Imagine looking up and seeing a complex wooden or reinforced concrete grate that forms the shape of the letter Z. This cross was not just a roof structure, but also a specific technical function. The area on the sixth floor was used for pneumatic drying of grain. The air, which was heated and flowed through a pile of grain, removed moisture and protected the crop from mold and rot. This system required precise engineering, and it was this crov that was a key part of it. It is proof of how advanced the crop drying technology was in the 1920s. Most people think that technology came later, but reality was different. This object was the technological tip of its time and its construction clearly illustrates this.

The fact that this building is a cultural monument was confirmed only in 2019, a relatively recent event. This means that many generations of the Souwaymen lived next to this object, maybe admired it, maybe ignored it, but only recently it was officially awarded the value it deserved. It's an example of how our perception of history changes. Today we know that industrial architecture is no less valuable than locks or churches. On the contrary, it is these structures that show us how they lived, worked and thought people during the twentieth century. This building is a dominant suburb of Špital and its protection is important for preserving the city's memory.

In conclusion, I would like to tell you that you are standing in front of a place that has something to say. Not only its architecture, but also its history and what happened in it. They survived war years, political change, and economic transformation. Today it is open to the public and serving the community, which is a beautiful way to give old construction a new life. Don't be afraid to look at her again and again. Look for the details you may not have noticed the first time. Feel the atmosphere that rules here. This building is part of your urban landscape and it is important to know and understand it. Thank you for taking the time to take this walk and listen to this guide. I hope this history has opened your eyes to Jihlava and its sights. I wish you a beautiful day and many other discoveries in our city.