Karlovy Vary will announce an architectural competition for the Vřídlo Colonnade

Work has already begun in front of the Vřídlo colonnade to relocate the spring and also preparations for moving the technology (so-called "krenotechnologie") that captures and distributes the spring water to the spa houses.

The proposal to announce the competition was presented by opposition councilor Otmar Homolka (the movement "What do they want?!"). According to Mayor Petr Kulhánek (KOA), however, an architectural competition with international participation can take up to ten years from preparation through announcement and evaluation to the realization of the building.

Therefore, it is necessary to repair the Vřídlo colonnade so that it can last for such a duration. "The current state is such that on April 15, the trial operation will start in front of the Vřídlo colonnade. In the meantime, project documentation will be prepared for the repair of the floor in the Vřídlo hall and for the repair of the structures above it. This should be completed by the end of the year so that the krenotechnologie can be relocated to temporary spaces and work can begin on lowering the ceiling. The estimated duration for that is about five months. So by the middle of next year, the whole project for about 35 million should be completed," Kulhánek stated.

According to him, after the reconstruction, the operation should last in the current colonnade for up to ten years. According to Deputy Mayor Jiří Klsák (KOA), however, the replacement of the colonnade depends more on the city's willingness to keep it in a condition that allows it to function. In the past, when the original cast-iron colonnade was replaced with the current one, insurmountable technical problems of the structure were not the reasons.

The competition to design a new appearance of the colonnade above the Vřídlo has long been demanded by part of the opposition. According to Jiří Kotek (ALTENATIVA), the city's leadership has not yet opened a discussion on this topic. "It is a matter of the broad Karlovy Vary public. But if I want something and have a goal, I can realize it significantly faster than in ten years," Kotek believes.

The resolution by which the councilors committed the council to start preparing the competition is thus the first step. According to Kulhánek, the city's leadership will begin by reaching out to experts and preparing the conditions for the competition.