The exhibition will commemorate the history of the New Town Hall in Ostrava

Ostrava - An exhibition will commemorate the eighty-year history of the New Town Hall in Ostrava, which will begin on Monday in the vestibule of the town hall building. The most famous landmark of the regional city will celebrate 80 years since its grand opening on October 28. The exhibition, prepared from materials from the city archive, is the first event to mark this significant anniversary, said city hall spokesperson Andrea Vojkovská today to ČTK.
    The exhibition documents and photographs from the Archive of the City of Ostrava map the origin, unrealized proposals, and the construction of the building opened in 1930, which is still characterized primarily by its tall tower. "The archival documents provide insight into the selection of a suitable location for the new building for the administration of the city of Moravian Ostrava and the results of the then tender process," Vojkovská stated.
    The exhibition will also focus on the initiator of the construction and the mayor of Moravian Ostrava, Jan Prokeš. Photographs capture the construction of the building and provide insight into the interior and exterior furnishings, such as sculptures or balcony grille fillings.
    Initial discussions about the construction of the town hall date back to 1870 when the councilors of Moravian Ostrava decided to postpone the allocation of funds for the construction every year. A construction committee was created in 1912 for the construction of the new town hall building, but all preparations were interrupted by World War I. In 1922, negotiations regarding the construction of the town hall were resumed. Two years later, the commission selected the winning project by authors Vladimír Fischer from Brno and Ostrava architects František Kolář and Jan Rubý.
    The façade of the town hall is adorned with four bronze sculptures symbolizing mining, commerce, science, and metallurgy. Part of the largest town hall complex in the country is an observation tower, which is a popular destination for tourists. The top of the tower, including the lightning rod, rises more than 85 meters above the surroundings, with the balcony at a height of 72.5 meters. The tower also features a clock with a light dial.
    The building is constructed in the functionalist style. Although it has been reconstructed several times in the past, its architectural appearance has not been fundamentally disrupted.