Mariánské Lázně want to reconstruct the historic Chopin house

Mariánské Lázně - Mariánské Lázně are preparing for the reconstruction of the historic Chopin house next year. The building on the main street is a venue for cultural events and houses an information center, but the operational facilities are already outdated. The city has already commissioned the development of project documentation for 1.3 million. The reconstruction is expected to cost millions of crowns. Therefore, Mariánské Lázně plans to apply for a grant, said deputy mayor Vojtěch Franta (Pirates).

"The information center needs to be modernized. Currently, the building is also barrier-free; we want to install an elevator and connect all floors so that disabled individuals can access them. There is the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, the Chopin Memorial, a music hall, and a small stage. So actually, the whole house should serve some cultural and social purposes. We also talked about the possibility of creating accommodation for performers there," Franta said.

The city commissioned the project documentation with the condition that it must be prepared in time to apply for a grant by March next year. "The tender was won by a Prague architect with a rather bold design. However, he will now be limited by the deadline. We want to draw from the heritage renewal program for nominees on the UNESCO list," the deputy mayor said.

The reconstruction of the house is to be one of the steps towards improving the city center, on which the city wants to collaborate with the Cimex company, among others. The company owns several hotels in the city and has proposed a billion-dollar transformation of the park right behind the Chopin house and the town hall. Mariánské Lázně has already signed a memorandum of mutual cooperation with Cimex.

The Chopin house with the building number 47 is located on the Main Street near the central park. It was built in the first phase of the city's construction between 1819 and 1820, and it has been protected as a monument since 1958. Since 1960, the second floor of the house has housed the Fryderyk Chopin memorial, which commemorates his stay in the house in 1836. The exhibition itself and other parts of the house have been reconstructed several times.