Liberec will connect the swimming pool more with the adjacent square according to the proposal

Liberec - Liberec already knows how Tržní náměstí should change in the coming years. The new design emerged from an urban-architectural competition, in which the city hall selected a proposal from the Prague office of the architects ov. If implemented, parking will no longer play a primary role in the square, but it will become a place for leisure activities. The design also considers that cars will stop driving around the swimming stadium. This should help to better connect the pool with the central part of the square. Jiří Janďourek, head of the city’s architecture office, said this to reporters today.

"I believe that for people who spend time in the pool and then come out, offering them a quality public space and a good environment is essential," said Janďourek. According to him, over 1,200 people visit the swimming stadium daily. When they leave the pool today, a busy road separates them from the central part of the square.

According to the proposal, the road should in the future only serve public transport. The aim, according to Janďourek, is for motorists to make the most use of the New Pastýřská road, the construction of which is also planned and which should lead to the lower part of Tržní náměstí. The city hopes that the new road will divert some traffic from the upper center and help prevent traffic collapses after the completion of the parking garage and emergency care center at the hospital near Šaldovo náměstí. "We need to relieve Šaldovo náměstí, Jablonecká street, and Palachova street. This means: we will try to maximumly prioritize New Pastýřská so that the inner city ring road actually starts to function," the architect added.

The city wants to start construction of the new road in 2021 and work on the square a year later. It aims to complete the modifications simultaneously. "Because the traffic that will be directed via New Pastýřská cannot end at the existing Tržní náměstí, but the square's space must be resolved simultaneously," said Mayor Jaroslav Zámečník (SLK). The triangular-shaped square includes not only the pool but also residential buildings, a rock club, restaurants, and a path leading to the exhibition grounds, barracks, several schools, and a department store. The square is expected to see a significant increase in greenery and furniture. It is also planned that cars will only be able to park there for residents of the adjacent buildings, the so-called residents. According to Janďourek, there are plenty of parking spaces available for visitors to the pool around the square.