“Surfaces with screed imitations of concrete are subject to significant degradation, salts condense on the surface, cracks are visible in the joints of polystyrene thermal insulation. Even part of the facade is peeling,” the website msstavby.cz pointed out the problems.
He also mentioned that the facade of the slaughterhouse is noticeably dirty due to the absence of plumbing elements. “This realization is proof that no imitations of original and durable materials can withstand the stress of outdoor environments over time. If we want to have a building made of exposed concrete, it must be real concrete. You can’t save money on such specific constructions,” the website emphasized.
And as a good example of the use of exposed concrete, the website presents the recently completed building of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ostrava in Černá louka.
“Flaws are not new”
According to Marek Pokorný, the director of the city gallery Plato, which is located in the building of the reconstructed Slaughterhouse, both representatives of the gallery and the city have been solving problems related to the facade of the building for a long time.
“This finding is nothing new either for the users of the building or for the investor, i.e. the city of Ostrava and its relevant department. Defects in the work that appear within the entire building, including problems with the facade, are the subject of a standard complaint procedure,” stated the gallery director.
He mentioned that it has absolutely no effect on traffic. “This is really a surface treatment of the facade and it does not threaten the essence of the building in any way. Why this happens, or how and when it will have to be fixed, is a matter of expert assessment,” Pokorný explained.
An atypical facade system
Pokorný rejects any threat to the evaluation of the reconstruction in prestigious competitions due to problems with the facade. “The house is clearly not falling apart, the gallery is working, we don’t walk around here wearing safety helmets, the garden is developing,” he added.
The municipality of Ostrava also acknowledges the solution to the problem with the facade. He also involves experts in the case.
“This is an atypical facade system that was chosen and required by the architect,” explained the spokesperson of the municipality, Gabriela Pokorná. “We are currently commissioning the preparation of an expert opinion, which will evaluate both the appropriateness of the use of the facade system in question and the quality of the execution, as well as propose a method of removing defects. The next course of action will be specified in the coming months.”
The building of the former Ostrava slaughterhouse was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award, awarded for outstanding architectural works that were built in Europe.
Between 2020 and 2022, it was restored according to the design of the KWK Promes studio by the Polish architect Robert Konieczný.
The state of the building of the former Ostrava slaughterhouse in 2016
Tags: awardwinning conversion slaughterhouse gallery problem Cracks facade
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