The future of the Plzeň cultural house Peklo will be evaluated by a group of experts

Plzeň – A new working group composed of representatives from the city leadership, heritage protectors, economists, architects, and cultural experts will address the current state and future of the deteriorating cultural house Peklo in Plzeň. The estimated costs for the repairs of the partially protected complex are in the hundreds of millions of koruna. Two years ago, the city offered the complex for sale for just under seven million koruna and set conditions for its repair and use. However, no one expressed interest in purchasing it. The thirteen-member group, appointed by the city council on Monday, is to propose how to handle Peklo. The city will try to repair it, Mayor Roman Zarzycký said today to ČTK.

The former Workers' House Peklo is in a state of emergency. When the city began a partial reconstruction in the spring of 2018, allocating 20 million koruna, it was discovered that the ceilings and rafters were heavily infested with wood-destroying fungi. Peklo is among the most significant cultural sites in Plzeň, particularly valued for its neo-Renaissance grand hall, which has very good acoustics, one of the best in the region. However, Plzeň lacks a quality concert hall. Due to its poor condition, Peklo is currently closed.

"There is definitely consensus among the coalition that we will be saving this cultural monument. I expect the committee to meet repeatedly during the first quarter of next year and focus primarily on its use. There is no need to rush too much, but the quality of the output that the committee produces is important, so that the future use of Peklo is manageable for us and that we can try to obtain co-financing at the national or European level based on the committee's recommendations," the mayor said. According to him, the city will also seek support from the Plzeň Region, which wants to collaborate with the city hall on the revitalization of the city baths in Plzeň.

The latest estimates of the repair costs for Peklo spoke of more than 700 million koruna. "Based on today's prices, I dare to estimate, and I do not have qualified assessment for this, that we are somewhere around a billion koruna for the repairs. It is a huge chunk, but we are determined to start this revitalization even if we cannot access national resources," noted Zarzycký.

In the past, discussions focused mainly on saving the building; now the city will mainly focus on its content and use, said Deputy Technical Mayor Pavel Bosák (Pirates). "The function will define how the space will be designed and how the areas will be arranged," he said. One of the possible options, according to Bosák and Zarzycký, is its use for the Plzeň Philharmonic. "But it is also necessary to look for commercial use and use at a non-profit level," said the mayor. If it is not possible to obtain grants, he expects that the city will at least try to restore the historically protected part.

The construction of Peklo began in 1894, with the grand hall added between 1905 and 1907. At the site of the terrain break, the complex includes two underground levels – a building with a restaurant and a club section was created in 1938, while the main staircase hall, staircase for the grand hall, and social facilities date back to 1957. The last addition was made in 1967 behind the grand hall.