Litomyšl announces a competition for the reconstruction of the historic house U Rytířů

Litomyšl - Litomyšl announces a competition for the reconstruction of the historic house U Rytířů. The building houses the city gallery, which lacks exhibition, storage, and archival spaces, and the building does not meet current standards for barrier-free access. The city has received a grant from the Ministry of Regional Development for the repairs. During the repairs, the gallery will temporarily operate in the city art gallery in the Litomyšl Castle, which opened in the summer. This was stated by Deputy Mayor Radomil Kašpar (KDU-ČSL).

The work will take at least two years. In the fall, the gallery is expected to close after the completion of the current last exhibition and will begin to clear out. "During the reconstruction, the main exhibition space will be in the castle. The gallery has to endure this for some time," said Kašpar.

The main goal of the modifications to the building is to expand the exhibition space, storage, and archives of the gallery to simplify the handling of artistic artifacts. Currently, if they are larger in size, they cannot be transported through the existing staircase. The house will also be more open to the public and will offer a café and a store for art publications and tickets in the courtyard.

The rear section of the house, which is in a dilapidated state and currently unused, is set for renewal. In the future, service areas for the gallery, such as restrooms and an educational workshop near the entrance from Růžová Street, should be placed here. An elevator for barrier-free access to the exhibition spaces, which can also be used for transporting exhibits, will also be installed. Both sections will be connected by an arcade corridor, but they will remain operationally independent due to a newly inserted outdoor staircase.

The estimated costs for the reconstruction are about 48.5 million crowns, and the city has received a European grant for it.

The House U Rytířů stands in the middle of the square, almost opposite the town hall tower. It is among the oldest and most valuable houses in the city due to its well-preserved original façade decoration and part of its interior. Its stylistic conception refers to the artistic circle of the Pernštejn Court in Pardubice. The house was likely transformed into its current Renaissance form by the stonemason master Blažek for himself after a great fire that swept through almost the entire city in 1540. It was probably completed by 1546. It has lost part of its Renaissance form due to minor and more significant modifications. The first notable transformation that changed its external appearance occurred in 1814 when the original, presumably high Renaissance gable was replaced by an Empire cornice.