Rokycany announced a competition for architects for the reconstruction of the Sokol Hall

Rokycany - Rokycany have announced a public architectural competition for the reconstruction of a more than 100-year-old Sokol building. The structure has been closed for almost four years due to damage from wood rot in the ceilings and roof trusses. Repairing the current building or constructing a new one is expected to cost a maximum of 360 million crowns. The competition has already been announced, said Vojtěch Luxemburk from the Prague firm City Upgrade, which is organizing the competition. Competition proposals must be submitted by March 15, 2021, at 2:00 PM.

"The new cultural center of the city will serve the entire Rokycany region," stated Luxemburk. The subject of the competition is to develop an architectural-urban design for the renovation of the building and a public parking lot with at least 90 spaces. The design will serve as the basis for a project, which, according to the decision of the city councilors, should cost no more than 11.5 million CZK.

The city and the organizer want as many studios as possible to register, which is expected to ensure the highest quality proposal. The competition conditions were approved by the Czech Chamber of Architects, and the estimated price is two million crowns. The winner will be selected by a seven-member jury, which includes four independent architects and three representatives of the city - the mayor and the deputy mayors. A guided tour of the cultural house will take place on November 24 at 10:00 AM.

"All options are still on the table, from minimal reconstruction to the construction of an entirely new Sokol building," said Mayor Václav Kočí (For Our Rokycany).

"The requirements include a large hall with a capacity of at least 400 seats that cannot be divided, and a small hall with a capacity of 100 seats, which will ensure the function of a cinema," said city hall spokesperson Tereza Maixnerová. There will also be space for a smaller restaurant and offices. The construction, which the city is mainly covering from its own sources, is expected to begin no sooner than 2022.

The grand neo-Renaissance Sokol building, constructed in 1902 and 1903, was taken over by the city hall three years ago from TJ Sokol, which did not have the funds for repairs and could not repay the loan from the city. In October 2016, the historic part of the building - the main hall and salons - was closed. Only a roughly 30-year-old extension, which mainly houses offices, is still in operation. The property on the main street from Plzeň to Prague is not a listed building.

The Sokol building could accommodate up to 600 people. The 14,000-strong Rokycany currently does not have a hall for cultural and social events. According to Deputy Mayor Jan Šašek (ODS), the only hall is in the Střelnice restaurant, where larger events cannot be held. Balls are held in Žebrák and Plzeň.