The shape of the ceramic school in Karlovy Vary will be determined by experts

Karlovy Vary - Experts should decide on the future form of the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Karlovy Vary. The Karlovy Vary Region will now request portfolios from architectural firms, from which it will choose the three best to develop a study. The historic building of the so-called ceramics school is in a state of emergency, and no one has yet been able to decide whether it makes sense to reconstruct it or to build a new one instead. What is certain now is that the school will not be relocating from its current premises, said regional councilor Josef Janů (Pirates) to ČTK.

"We will announce an architectural competition for the three selected architectural firms to develop a starting study for us, and subsequent steps will be taken. We would like this study to start being developed this fall, and we would like to begin construction next year. The condition is that we secure enough funds because this will obviously not be a cheap construction," Janů said. Cost estimates range between 400 and 600 million crowns. The region aims to partially secure the construction financing from the Restart program, from which it has so far drawn little for investments in education.

The region wants to provide architectural firms with a structural survey of both the older building from the 1920s and the newer parts of the complex from the 1960s. Based on that, experts should decide which parts of the school make sense to preserve and which can no longer be reconstructed. "Their decision will, of course, be limited by our requirements. Such as the space where the construction will take place, the study program, and so on," Janů added. During the reconstruction of the school, teaching should not be interrupted on the premises.

The situation of the applied arts school has been a concern for the region since 2017, when it became clear that the structure of part of the school was significantly compromised. Initially, the region proposed demolishing the building, and the Ministry of Culture, at its request, removed the heritage protection due to the extremely poor condition of the structure. However, public protests sparked a broader discussion. The region then considered several options, including building a new school at a different location. Since May 2017, classes have been held in temporary facilities in the remaining parts of the school.