The Stomilion renovation of the Sokolovna Rokycany interests many architects

Rokycany - Fourteen architectural studios today inspected the over 100-year-old gymnasium in Rokycany, which the city wants to transform into a cultural center for hundreds of millions of crowns. The deadline for the architectural competition for the revitalization of the four-year-closed building, whose ceiling and beams are infected with wood fungus, is March 15. Evaluation of the proposals will take place on March 16 and 18, Gabriela Šímová from the city development department told ČTK today. This is the first similar competition in the city.

The winning proposal will serve as the basis for a project that is set to cost no more than 11.5 million CZK. "All options are still on the table, from reconstruction to the construction of an entirely new gymnasium," stated Mayor Václav Kočí (For Our Rokycany). The maximum costs have been set by the councilors at 360 million crowns. A large hall with a capacity of up to 400 seats and a smaller one with 100 seats, a small restaurant, and offices are to be created there. The construction, which the city plans to mostly finance from its own sources, is expected to start no earlier than 2022.

Rokycany wants as many studios as possible to apply, which should ensure a very high-quality proposal. The competition conditions have been approved by the Czech Chamber of Architects. A jury consisting of four independent architects and three city representatives will select the winner. "The competition is open, and we do not impose any restrictive conditions. We are giving a chance to even beginning architects," said Šímová. During the ongoing procurement procedure, interested parties can submit questions through the portal. All answers are published. After the jury's verdict, there will be a panel exhibition of all proposals.

The grand neorenaissance gymnasium, built in 1902 and 1903, was taken over by the city hall three years ago from TJ Sokol. It is located on the main road from Plzeň to Prague and is not a protected monument. Only a 30-year-old extension with offices is currently operational.

The fourteen-thousand-strong Rokycany currently lacks a hall for hosting events. Smaller halls are available in the Střelnice restaurant and in the nearby Hrádek and Žebrák. "Our center would be interesting and affordable even for people from Plzeň for hosting graduation and other balls and cultural events," said Šímová. According to the city's residents who attended the tour, the building should be restored as soon as possible.

"The public contract for public buildings is a huge challenge," said Prague architect Jakub Koňata. According to him, the competition requires a lot of time and effort if the authors want to do it properly. "I enjoy working at the intersection of reconstruction and new construction. The assignment is very broad, but if approached with respect, it is possible to build a new cultural center here and give the city another impulse. The spaces are generous and can be well utilized," said Prague architect Alžběta Vrabcová. According to her, the materials, including the historical survey, are excellently prepared.