The Liberec Town Hall wants the House of Health in the old spa

Liberec - The Liberec City Hall would prefer to see a Health House in the dilapidated building of the neo-Renaissance baths, which it purchased last year. Mayor Jiří Kittner told reporters today that the city council evaluated a total of four variants for possible use of the building. The use for medical services and rehabilitation was found to be the most advantageous.
"Not only will the adaptation be the least demanding, but the operation of the Health House should also be financially self-sustaining," stated the mayor. According to him, the building is a protected monument, and therefore it will not be easy to intervene structurally too much.
The project anticipates the preservation and reconstruction of the swimming pool section. It should also include balneotherapy, diet therapy, movement therapy, massages, and physiotherapy. There are also plans to build a restaurant, hairdressing salon, manicure services, and other minor services. The reconstruction will require over 453 million crowns, but its financing is still unclear. "The building will serve public purposes, so co-financing from public sources of the state and the union can be considered," added city hall spokesman Martin Korych.
Originally, the regional office wanted to use the baths for the needs of the Liberec Region Education Center, but later abandoned its plan. Other possibilities for its use included social services, facilities for entrepreneurs, or hotel-type accommodation. However, there is an oversupply of accommodation in the region, and none of the other options proved to be economically viable.
The neo-Renaissance Liberec baths were built between 1900 and 1902 according to the design of the Vienna architect Peter Paul Brang. They were created during the peak of the then German city's expansion and form an architecturally unique complex with the neighboring North Bohemian Museum and children's polyclinic. Last year, the city acquired the monument at auction for nine million crowns to save it from destruction. In recent years, it changed owners several times, with virtually no investment made in it.
The city took over the building last October, and since then, according to the city hall spokesman, necessary repairs have been underway. The city intends to invest around 11 million crowns in these repairs this year. The external façade, with its rich stone sculptural decoration, is in particularly poor condition. The city hall is preparing a charity event in May for the rescue of the baths.