Nevřeň is already building the Caolinum Center, which will open during the summer

Jakub Chvojka, Centrum Caolinum in Nevřeň, visualization

Nevřeň (Plzeň region) - Nevřeň in the northern Plzeň region plans to open the Caolinum Center to the public this summer, a multifunctional facility that will include an exhibition on the history of unique kaolin mining in the village. The architecturally generous building, inspired by the tunnels in the Nevřeň underground, already has its foundations completed, and it is expected to be under roof by the end of March. The center, costing 15 million crowns, will become a landmark of the village, with the European Union contributing 12.7 million crowns. ČTK was informed about the project by Mayor Štěpánka Bejčková.
    "Nevřeň has always been generally known for its remnants of deep kaolin mining. When we were thinking about what to do with the space left by the burned-down pub, we combined the ideas and developed a project," she stated.
    The village handed over the construction site last September; the foundations of the building are now completed, and the finished structure is expected to be handed over in June. Inside the building, a multifunctional hall will be created for the widest possible use, and the building will also feature an exhibition dedicated to kaolin. "We want the exhibition to be engaging and to capture the interest of every visitor who comes here. We are designing a number of elements for children, such as a board game called Explore the Underground and similar activities. We want everyone to find something for themselves," said the mayor.
    According to Bejčková, the facility will enhance the visibility of the village, which lies 14 kilometers north of Plzeň, at least at the regional level, and attract visitors from the surrounding area. The multifunctional hall should be used to its maximum capacity. According to Bejčková, the center will also provide better marketing utilization in the future than if the village simply built a regular cultural house. In the future, the center is expected to become both a starting and endpoint for an educational trail to the sites of former kaolin mining and cycling trails in the vicinity.
    Critics of the project have emerged in the village in the past, claiming that the project will not bring the services that locals need, namely a pub with a hall. "We found a solution. We had a shop here that was built by volunteers years ago. The tenant who was there used only half of the building. With the designer, we devised a solution to add a functional pub there, which is already operating and was completed in November," said the mayor.
    The center includes a fire station, which, along with the center, forms one building externally, but in terms of construction, they are two separate entities.
    Nevřeň, which has 250 inhabitants, operates with a budget of around three million crowns. It is also currently renovating the municipal office and preparing a new library.