The mosaic at the Havířov train station, which is set to be demolished, is worth

Havířov (Karviná) - The mosaic in the building of the Havířov train station, which is set to be demolished, has an immeasurable value according to the group fighting for the preservation of the building. It was reportedly created based on the design of the world-renowned artist and glass designer Vladimír Kopecký. Czech Railways spokesman Petr Šťáhlavský told the ČTK today that this information is new. The carrier will address it. However, it is unlikely to affect the plans for demolition.
    The mosaic is located in the interior of the Havířov train hall and has an area of 65 m². "The creator of the mosaic design, Vladimír Kopecký, has captivated experts and the general public with his original works since the 1950s. He won a Gold Medal at the World Expo Expo'58 in Brussels. He is one of the most prominent students of another world-famous glassmaker and artist, Josef Kaplický," said Lucie Chytilová on behalf of the civic association Důl architektury. This association is trying to save the building.
    According to Šťáhlavský, this is new information. "It is the opinion of a group that wants to save the building. I cannot assess it now. If they provide us with the information, the responsible people will address it. However, it does not change the relationship to the building. We are addressing the station as a whole to make it functional for both passengers and us. The mosaic can be removed and saved separately," he said.
    However, the members of the association disagree. "Due to the interconnection of the artwork with the architecture, not only ideologically but also technologically, it is not possible to relocate the mosaic," said art historian Marcela Gavendová. According to her, this should be a strong argument for preserving the station building designed in the so-called Brussels style. According to Chytilová, Czech Railways still have enough time to change their plans.
    Supporters of the station also point out that the value of the work is increased by the fact that the technology used for glass mosaics has already disappeared in the Czech Republic. "The absence of production of special mosaic glass makes the work a non-renewable and irreplaceable artifact," Chytilová said.
    The station building is to make way for the construction of a new transport terminal. This is a joint project of the city and Czech Railways. According to information from the city hall, the railways were supposed to take care of the reconstruction of the station building, while the city was to deal with the modification of the space in front of the station. The terminal, costing around 200 million crowns, is intended to connect rail, bus, and personal transport, with space for bus stops and a large parking lot attached to the train station.
    A group of architects from the association Důl architektury is trying to prevent the demolition of the station building. They have previously sought to have the station declared a cultural monument. However, their initiative ultimately was not successful. According to them, the train station in Havířov is a significant work of Josef Hrejsemnou and was built between 1964 and 1969. It is reportedly one of the world-recognized contributions of Czech architects in the field of industrial heritage.