The new headquarters of Czech Forests should also serve the public and schools

Hradec Králové - The planned new headquarters of the state enterprise Lesy České republiky (LČR) should also serve the public and schools. The site of the headquarters, along with the adjacent new forest park, is expected to serve as an entry point for the residents and visitors of Hradec Králové into the extensive area of municipal forests, which mainly serve for recreation. This was stated to reporters today by representatives of LČR and architects Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof, who won the international architectural competition for the design of the new headquarters. LČR owns half of the forests in the country, and the enterprise reports an annual profit in billions of crowns.

The building, estimated to cost 470 million crowns excluding VAT, will be made of wood. The creators named the project "Forests in the Forest." The central space will have a layout resembling a tree seemingly growing into the forest and the forest into the building. The house will have five arms. Around it, there will be spaces for education, sports, and recreation. The roofs will also be used for showcasing the enterprise. "People will be able to slide down from the roof," said Chybík.

The two-story building with 8,000 square meters of office space will accommodate 180 to 200 officials. Currently, about 160 people work at the headquarters. If necessary, the offices will be adapted so that up to 230 officials can fit into the building.

For the landscaping of the forest park, LČR will need land from the city of Hradec Králové. They are expected to obtain it in exchange for land that Hradec Králové will annex to its municipal forests. The mayor of Hradec Králové, Zdeněk Fink (Hradec Democratic Club), expressed support for the project.

The new headquarters will be located in Hradec Králové in the same area as the current headquarters of the enterprise, on the site of the enterprise's warehouses. After construction, the current office buildings will be demolished. In their place, builders will create a publicly accessible forest park, and a parking lot for 200 cars will also be constructed nearby.

If everything goes according to plan, the new headquarters of LČR could be completed by the end of 2020. LČR will now negotiate with the architects regarding a contract for the preparation of all stages of project documentation and for the performance of author supervision. The estimated value of these works is almost 40 million crowns excluding VAT.

According to LČR, the new headquarters should be an example of using wood in construction and renewable energy sources. The building is expected to meet low-energy standards. According to LČR, a similar wooden administrative building for around 200 employees does not yet exist in the Czech Republic.

Currently, the main part of the LČR headquarters is located in an inadequate building made of panels from the 1970s. The structure, which previously served as the headquarters of the East Bohemian State Forests, is considered statically unstable, is not insulated, lacks air conditioning, and most office spaces do not meet today’s standards. According to LČR, the building is not suitable for reconstruction.