Jablonec nad Nisou is requesting a grant from European funds for the next restoration of the town hall

photo: Josef Hurta

Jablonec nad Nisou - Jablonec nad Nisou is preparing another phase of the town hall restoration, with renovations planned for the entrance doors to the building and the balcony above the entrance. The costs are estimated by the project designers at 25 million crowns, with the city having a chance to obtain about 14 million from European grants through the Integrated Regional Operational Program (IROP), said the spokesperson for the magistrate, Jana Fričová, today to ČTK. The town hall has been a National Cultural Monument since last July.

The town hall in Jablonec was built between 1931 and 1933, it is a significant building of Czechoslovak interwar architecture and the most famous work of Liberec architect Karel Winter. Since 2012, the city has invested nearly 100 million crowns in the restoration of the building. The town hall is gradually returning to the form it had in the 1930s, with the façade, including windows and the tower, having been repaired, and the most visible changes have taken place in the meeting rooms, while the mayor's office has also returned to its original form.

However, not everything has been preserved; for instance, the halls have new parquet floors due to woodworm, but workers discovered the original sliding doors that separated the main hall from the adjacent lounge underneath the paneling. The 1970s fiberboard also concealed the original oval table from Room 201. Tables, chairs, and also the lighting have been replaced with replicas made according to Winter's original designs. The vestibule of the town hall is decorated with lamps based on the architect’s original designs, for which there was no money at the time of construction. Last year, the cinema was also renovated, and the city restored the stained glass in the staircase.

In the next phase, the plan includes the remediation of the granite plinth and a revision of the steel grilles, among other things. "The town hall will also receive new entrance doors made according to Winter's original design; the current ones are not original," Fričová said. There are plans for a review of other doors in the building, explanations, and windows, the restoration of fabric awnings, a revision of the mezzanine windows, and the opening of the terrace near the ceremonial hall. "The public procurement is expected to be announced this autumn, and the implementation of the project is anticipated next year," added the spokesperson.

After the completion of the next phase of the restoration, it will be possible to expand the guided tours of the functionalist town hall, which is in high demand. "In 2023, the town hall tours were very popular, with an attendance of 3,000 people. After the expansion of the route to include the terrace and the ceremonial hall, another increase in attendance is expected, which will be monitored as a binding indicator for the project's sustainability, that is, five years from the completion of funding," added Řeháček.