Masaryk University Art Studios – ADC

Tucked within the historic urban fabric of Brno, the new art studios for the Faculty of Education at the Masaryk University in Brno transforms a previously underserved part of the campus into a hub for creativity.

Designed by architect Michal Palaščak and his team at Brno-based Studio dílna, the new building introduces state-of-the-art facilities for both traditional and contemporary art forms, creating a light-filled space that improves exhibition and studio space for students.

Before, art students were forced to share classrooms with other disciplines, limiting the potential for dedicated creative spaces. Now, with 300 square meters of usable floor area spread over three levels, future art educators have access to facilities designed for various media, from painting and sculpture to new technologies. A top-floor multimedia studio, for example, features blackout capabilities and adjustable backlighting, allowing for immersive visual experimentation.

Bright, airy rooms, fully painted white, encourage focus and creative exploration. With natural light flooding the painting studio and dedicated workshops for cutting, drilling, and welding, the space offers an environment that feels less like a typical educational building and more akin to a contemporary art gallery.

“We designed a building with clean, simple forms that contrast with the historic surroundings, adding a dynamic energy to the site,“ explained Palaščak in a statement. “The structure feels more like a modern art gallery than a traditional educational facility, standing out in the street space and engaging in a compelling dialogue between the neoclassical architecture of the surrounding buildings and its own generous, orthogonal shapes.”

The site’s previous uses — ranging from a dismantled shooting range pavilion to a substation and elevator shaft — presented complex logistical hurdles. The architects had to work around these existing structures, keeping the substation operational throughout construction while ensuring the integrity of the nearby historic gable wall. Their solution was a monolithic, reinforced concrete structure that bridges over the substation, forming the backbone of the building’s clean, orthogonal shapes.

A lack of traditional side windows also called for inventive solutions to ensure proper lighting. By subtly shifting the floors horizontally, Studio dílna introduced skylights that channel daylight deep into the building’s core. This design approach, shaped by detailed studies of daylight and sun exposure, gives the building its unique silhouette.

Externally, the building stands out with its smooth white facade, rendered with organic, fine-grained material. Frameless glazing further accentuates the minimalist design, offering glimpses of the interior gallery spaces. Inside, concrete surfaces are treated with white paint and epoxy flooring have been designed so rooms can be hosts for a range of exhibitions as well as be used as a maker-space.