The kiosks of Jan Kotěra on the bridge in Hradec Králové will be repaired by the company Matex HK

Hradec Králové - The historical kiosks on the edges of the listed Prague Bridge over the Elbe in Hradec Králové will be repaired by the local company Matex HK. The company applied for the fourth tender for the repair of the kiosks as the sole bidder, offering a price of 1.96 million crowns without VAT. This corresponds to the price the city estimated before the competition. This was stated today by the deputy mayor for investments, Jindřich Vedlich (TOP 09). Out of the previous three tenders, two were not completed; the company selected in the third competition went bankrupt and the city is claiming 575,000 crowns from it in insolvency proceedings.

The Prague Bridge, built in 1910, is one of the typical structures of the city. It has four circular structures known as kiosks on its approaches, which, like the bridge, were designed by the renowned architect Jan Kotěra. The kiosks, which serve for selling refreshments or ice cream, are also under heritage protection. Matex HK is expected to repair two kiosks located in the direction from the old town to Freedom Square on the right side of the bridge.

The town hall expects that Matex HK will complete the repairs of the kiosks by this October. "The work will mainly involve stoneworking and restoration, as well as the replacement or reconstruction of windows and doors," said Vedlich. The restoration of the kiosks will be carried out based on the original documentation of the modifications of both approaches signed by architect Jan Kotěra in May 1910. The city intends to pay part of the repair costs from a grant from the program for the regeneration of urban heritage reserves from the Ministry of Culture.

Of the remaining two kiosks, the larger one at Freedom Square has already been repaired. The repair was organized last year by the municipal contribution organization Property Management, which selected the company Štěpánek from Opočno for it. The price of the work was 1.55 million crowns without VAT. The last, fourth kiosk should also be repaired by Property Management. The city is carrying out repairs through Property Management without grants.

The city has been trying to repair the kiosks at the ends of the single-arched iron bridge since 2015. The bridge itself was repaired by the town hall between 1992 and 1993.

The first tender for two kiosks had to be canceled two years ago due to a lack of interest from companies. The second competition was canceled due to the failure to meet conditions by the sole applicant. The winner of the third competition, the Prague firm Toget, only chipped off part of the plaster on the kiosks last year and did not continue with the work. In August last year, Toget entered insolvency proceedings and in February this year, the court declared bankruptcy against it. Hradec Králové is claiming a fine of 550,000 crowns for non-delivered work and an additional 24,600 crowns for lost rent, damaged doors, and cleanup of rubble as illegal dumping.