The façade of a massive distribution center in the Panattoni Park Cheb industrial zone is a canvas for what will soon be the largest mural in the Czech Republic.
According to the Accolade Group, the investor of the distribution center project, the mural, when finished, will cover an area of 6,200 square meters on the building, which is presently under construction. The design of the mural — a motive of the Cheb skyline — was created by the PROJEKTSTUDIO architectural studio and is being painted by street artist Dmitriy Proshkin, who is known as ChemiS. The distribution center itself, intended for an unnamed “global fashion chain,” is being developed by Panattoni.
“The combination of an industrial park and mural art is a great and attractive way to bring art to public space,” said Accolade Associate Director Martina Nova. “That is why we founded the Accolade Industrial Art project, which has already contributed to the completion of nine murals in our industrial parks throughout the Czech Republic and Poland. With this jubilee project, we wanted to pay tribute to the historically neglected (perhaps a bit unfairly) city of Cheb, which has undergone great development over the last decade.”
“In general, the architecture of industrial buildings adheres to requirements for functionality and sustainability,” noted Panattoni Regional Development Director Klara Sobotkova. “I am thus truly happy that we can break down stereotypes in this regard in connection with the mural in Panattoni Park Cheb. Consequently, the distribution center project for a leading global brand will become exceptional not only in terms of its scale and technology used, but also in terms of the appearance of its façade.”
The total area of the project exceeds 200,000 square meters. The main façade is 700 meters long, and the mural will reach 15 meters in height. According to Accolade, eight different shades of spray paint were used.
“We are pleased that the industrial park in Cheb is able to attract established companies of global importance to the region, offering hundreds of new jobs,” said Cheb Mayor Jan Vrba. “The fact that it has also become a place for an original work of art, which may even attract interest of visitors from the general public, is an excellent bonus. The silhouette of Cheb’s beautiful historic city center certainly deserves to be immortalized in this manner and, thanks to the mural art, it is on display for all those passing by.”
“The reliefs on the façade refer to specific buildings found in the Cheb city center, mostly on the main square,” explained Lucie Parks from the PROJEKTSTUDIO architectural studio, who authored the design. “The intention was to allow locals, who know Cheb well, to find their favorite buildings here. It is also a sort of an inside joke between the locals and others who are just passing by and do not realize that there are historic buildings of Cheb right in front of them.”
According to Accolade, “the largest mural in the Czech Republic to date was located on an industrial building near Vaclav Havel Airport Prague. The large-format painting, entitled ‘Cosmos,’ covers an area of more than 5,200 square meters. According to Guinness World Records, the world’s largest mural resides on multiple grain silos in Incheon, west of Seoul, South Korea, with the painted surface covering an area of more than 23,600 square meters. The 95 meters high mural in Calgary, Canada, is also unique, as it is the world’s tallest painted mural.”
