Saturday, 16 August 2025
The perimeter fencing around the Dornych construction site near Brno’s main railway station has been transformed into an open-air gallery stretching 225 metres. Over the past several days, thirty street artists from the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and New Zealand have painted the solid barrier surrounding the site. The initiative was organised by the developer Crestyl in collaboration with the local association Panto Graff. The project required more than 1,800 cans of spray paint to cover the extensive OSB board wall.
The public can participate in selecting the best artworks by voting through the Streetart.Dornych Instagram account until 15 September. The top three artists will receive materials for future work valued at CZK 40,000 and an opportunity to create a special piece on the construction fence in Úzká Street.
Viktor Peška, sales and marketing director at Crestyl, explained that the goal was to avoid standard advertising fencing and instead enhance the site visually, involve the local community, and reduce the risk of non-artistic graffiti.
Ondřej Vítek, chairman of Panto Graff, described the project as a collaborative effort between Panto Graff, Crestyl, and construction firm GEMO, turning a previously grey wall into a canvas for artists. Each artist was assigned a space measuring 7.5 by 1.85 metres. All artworks were required to relate to the themes of the local area, Brno, trains, or construction.
Artists participating in the project include wosk, oliver, furie, pauser, guilty, spord, silver, trip, ding, rwek, 8Rox, mello, scim, noee, lotr, maroko, tofee, veud, keim, duroy, rhak, inlove, part, optik, miser, traum, robot, dose, and sklon. GEMO, alongside Crestyl and Panto Graff, also contributed to the initiative.
The Dornych project itself involves the redevelopment of the former department store area into a mixed-use space covering 25,000 square metres. The plan includes six smaller buildings that will accommodate the NYX Hotel Brno with 170 rooms, 186 rental apartments, and approximately 50,000 square metres of offices, restaurants, shops, and services. Notable tenants will include the EUC clinic, offering medical services and two pharmacies across 6,000 square metres, and Scott.Weber Workspace, which will establish the largest flexible office and co-working centre in the South Moravian Region on 5,200 square metres, including facilities for 600 employees and a private terrace of 500 square metres. The development will also feature 5,000 square metres dedicated to restaurants, bars, and cafés.
The buildings will range from seven to eight floors and include underground parking. The project will integrate with the existing street network and the underpass beneath the railway station, creating a link between Brno’s historic city centre and the planned South Quarter. The total investment exceeds seven billion Czech crowns. The project’s architectural design is led by international firm MTDI, headed by Marek Tryzybowicz, in cooperation with Brno’s Arch.Design studio. RUBY Project Management is overseeing the entire development process, while GEMO is handling demolition, excavation, and structural works.
