The renovation of the Varšava cinema in Liberec will take longer, the facade will regain its original plaster

Liberec - The renovation of the Varšava cinema in Liberec, which began last autumn, is expected to finish by the end of April next year. The construction, nearly costing 63 million crowns, has been extended by almost a month due to an unexpected discovery on the facade. During the removal of weathered sections and pressure cleaning, the builders uncovered partially preserved original coarse-grained bриколит plaster with stucco elements of cornices and jambs under the smooth lime plaster. Based on the request of the conservationists, according to Deputy Mayor Šárka Prachařová (ANO), they must restore the original appearance of the facade.

"This means back to briсolit, including all the beauties that are on the facade," the deputy said to reporters.

The over one hundred-year-old cinema, which is owned by the city, has been undergoing a complete reconstruction since October last year. The city will cover two-thirds of the costs from a European grant. Builders are renovating the hall and other interior spaces of the cinema, with new air conditioning, electrical installations, and stage technology. The renovation also includes the repair of the facade and the area in front of the cinema, the replacement of water, sewage, and heating systems, as well as the repair of waterproofing and drainage systems.

During the renovation of the monument-protected building, which was built in the Art Deco style, several complications have arisen, according to Prachařová. A significant issue is that during excavation work, the builders cannot use machinery as originally intended. "We have to do everything by hand," the deputy stated. Workers from the construction company must undermine and support individual engineering networks manually and then hand-pack and compact them.

In addition to the project, they had to demolish incoherent concrete screed and a partition in the projection booth, or supplement the missing masonry of the foundation wall under the entrance staircase. "The question is whether anything else will appear. As I said, it's an old building, and it can surprise," Prachařová added.

According to her, further extension of the construction would mean that the organizers of the international animated film festival Anifilm would not be able to use the cinema. Without the cinema, which had been one of the main screening halls in previous years, they already had to manage without it this year. The next Anifilm edition will take place in Liberec from May 5 to 10 next year.