Ostrava's Black Cube Center to Feature Climate‑Resilient Design

The nine‑storey Černá kostka (Black Cube) building, a Center of Digitisation, Science and Innovation under construction in Ostrava near the regional office, is being equipped to handle extreme temperatures. Funded with 2.6 billion CZK from the Fair Transformation programme, it will host the Moravian‑Silesian Scientific Library and is one of the largest investments in the Moravian‑Silesian Region.

Project spokesperson Květa Geršlová explained that the black façade will not cause overheating because it incorporates a system of metal “pororošty” shading devices, triple‑glazed glass with air gaps, and a façade‑mounted ventilation system. Underground, 68 boreholes up to 140 m deep act as a natural heat‑exchange accumulator, storing summer heat for winter heating and drawing ground‑cool air in summer. Sensors and an AI‑driven camera system will continuously monitor indoor climate and external weather, automatically opening ventilation flaps when needed. The design aims to keep interior spaces comfortable for reading, work and leisure despite the heat waves currently affecting the Czech Republic.