Česká Lípa will present to the public all 48 designs for the new city library

Česká Lípa - Česká Lípa will present to the public next week all 48 proposals that the city received in the architectural competition for a new library. Seven proposals received awards, with the one from the Prague studio mh architects atelier winning, but it has not yet been decided whether it will be constructed according to it. The city's leadership wants to wait for residents' reactions before making a final decision. Jitka Volfová (ANO), the mayor, told ČTK. People can view all the proposals from January 17 to 25 at an exhibition in the Crystal Cultural Center.

There was great interest in the competition, with proposals submitted not only from studios in the Czech Republic but also from Slovakia, Poland, Spain, and Great Britain. "The evaluation took place over two days; it was by no means easy to choose among so many proposals, but in the end, we unanimously agreed on the result. I am very curious to see how the citizens will like the proposals. This is a significant building that will cost the city tens of millions of crowns, so it is important that we know the public's opinion," Volfová added.

The current library in T. G. Masaryk Square no longer meets needs; it is not barrier-free, and it is technically impossible to fundamentally modify it. Therefore, the councilors decided last February to build a new building. The library is expected to transform a currently neglected and overlooked area in the center of Česká Lípa, and the city wants to build it in the gap on Jeřábkov Square. The architects had to incorporate objects 158 and 159, which remain after the partial demolition of the tavern, into the new building.

According to Volfová, the advantage of the winning proposal from mh architects atelier is the efficient solution of the entire building in terms of both economic construction costs and future operation. The building is modern but respects the historical city center, plans for a green roof, and a spacious terrace that library visitors could use. A bonus is the possibility of efficient management of rainwater, and the transformation of part of Jeřábkov Square, which is currently a parking lot, is also simply designed.

According to the mayor, the library should serve as a natural center for gatherings. In addition to sections for readers of all ages, there will also be space for smaller cultural events and exhibitions, a computer classroom, or a café; the renovation of Jeřábkov Square was also part of the brief. The city hall estimates the costs at 210 million crowns. According to Volfová, the goal of the competition was to verify the costs so that the city would have an idea of future financing. According to her, construction will not start any sooner than in five or six years, as the city hall wants to obtain grants for the costly project.