Due to the construction of the embankment at the Nisa River in Liberec, builders are dismantling the entrance to the regional headquarters

Liberec - Due to the construction of the riverbank at the Lusatian Neisse in Liberec, builders started dismantling the entrance to the Liberec Region headquarters this morning, which will remain closed to the public until autumn. It is no longer possible to walk along the regional office. Entrance to the building is only possible through the side entrance of the neighboring building C, accessible from the parking garage. The spokesperson for the office, Filip Trdla, said this today. The entrance area is awaiting reconstruction, the stairs will be extended, and the entrance should reopen by September at the latest.

The riverbank is part of a billion-crown project to cultivate the lower center of Liberec. The project began in 2014 when the Liberec Region bought buildings and land adjacent to its headquarters from VÚTS (formerly the Research Institute of Textile Machines). They paid 125 million crowns for the area of more than 11,000 square meters. The region has already invested hundreds of millions more in the renovation of the buildings. The construction of the riverbank followed last September on the first phase with a parking garage for 244 cars, which the region opened at the beginning of last year. "The company Gardenline has 330 days to complete the construction," added Trdla.

The builders have already demolished the footbridge over the river and are gradually lowering the riverbanks; they have now begun dismantling the glass façade of the entrance to the tall regional building. According to Tomáš Horyna, who oversees technical supervision, the work is progressing according to schedule despite the winter weather. "The basic structure of the entrance will remain; it will be assessed by structural engineers, if it is okay, it will stay; should any problems arise, we will address them," he said. The entrance will then be given a new façade, and a new footbridge will be added, which was already considered in the original project by architect Zdeněk Plesník at the end of the 1960s.

The project, costing 142 million crowns, aims to rehabilitate the surroundings of the regional headquarters, which in the past primarily served as a parking lot. A new parking garage now serves for cars, and the area will receive new paving, with additional greenery planned. Refreshments, public toilets, a water feature, and a playground will also be added. "The main thing is the descent to the Neisse, allowing visitors to go down to the river and dip their feet in the water," said David Pavlišta, co-author of the project from the studio re: architekti, earlier to ČTK.

The construction of the Liberec Region is to be followed by the city of Liberec. "We will cultivate the path on the left side from the perspective of the flow. We will abolish the parking lot, turning it into a green space that will be part of the adjacent park. The Odra-Nisa bike path is also key for us," said Deputy Mayor Jiří Janďourek (Mayors for the Liberec Region). A promenade with seating is to be created on the left bank, according to him. The municipal phase is being prepared, with the city's preliminary cost estimated at 50 million crowns.