The Mariánské Lázně Town Hall has appealed against the demolition of the Baťa house

Mariánské Lázně (Cheb region) - The town hall in Mariánské Lázně has appealed against the decision of its building authority, which at the beginning of January approved the demolition of the functionalist Baťa department store. The structure from 1932 in the city center was ordered to be immediately closed last June due to the emergency condition of its load-bearing reinforced concrete structures. In the fall, the Ministry of Culture removed the building from the list of protected monuments. Mayor Vojtěch Franta (Pirates) is not pleased with the demolition order and wants to overturn the building authority's decision. He is convinced that the building can be saved. He stated this today to ČTK.
Franta, who is an architect, raised several objections during the review of the case, but the building authority did not heed him. Among other things, the mayor demanded that an opposing assessment be allowed and that an evaluation of whether the structure could be rehabilitated be conducted. He is also dissatisfied that the ministry removed the heritage protection from the building based solely on one structural engineer's report. This could set a dangerous precedent where the owner of a heritage site allows the building to deteriorate and, when it is in a state of emergency, successfully requests to be relieved of heritage protection, Franta said.
The Baťa company, which owns the property, has not commented much on this. "Currently, a legislative process is underway for the removal of the structure due to the structural unsoundness of the building. The Baťa company proceeds in accordance with the conclusion of the structural assessment and with regard to the preservation of safety and health as primary concerns," said Kateřina Kaňová, coordinator of external communication for the company, to ČTK after the demolition decision was issued.
The center of Mariánské Lázně is also likely to lose another large structure - the Rozkvět hotel, which was destroyed by fire last October. Only the outer walls remain. Structural engineers have recommended their demolition. "Positive information - I have received a study on what is to be built there. And it is a one hundred percent replica of what was there," Franta said regarding this. He did not disclose any details, but the current foreign owner of the hotel reportedly wants to build the same hotel structure with just changed interiors.
The triangular Baťa house is to be gradually dismantled by June 30, according to the building authority's decision. Although it is considered a valuable example of Czech interwar functionalism, it is currently said to be in such a state that it poses a danger to lives. The load-bearing structures were built using aluminum cement. However, the strength of the concrete has significantly decreased, especially in critical areas such as foundation footings, columns, and basement walls.
According to Franta, there are currently 30 so-called dead buildings in the spa town. The town hall wants to try to find ways to communicate with the owners, or possibly to motivate them to revitalize the properties, the mayor said.