The renovation of the house between Moravské and Jakubské squares in Brno will cost hundreds of millions

Brno - The stabilization of the building between Moravian and Jakubské Squares in Brno is estimated to cost between 30 and 40 million Czech crowns. However, for the house, which houses the University Cinema Scala and where the Bolka Polívka Theatre used to operate, to serve cultural activities again, a reconstruction costing hundreds of millions of crowns is necessary. This is indicated by a professional assessment commissioned by the city. Discussions are currently underway with the concerned parties about whether they might take the building into their ownership and ensure its repair. The city hall informed about this in a press release today.

Static and laboratory assessments indicate that the reinforced concrete structure is inadequate and does not meet standards to serve as a load-bearing structure. According to the city hall, the usual approach in such cases is to opt for closure and demolition as the most effective solutions. However, this is not possible now, as from a technical standpoint, the cinema and theatre halls are located in the courtyard, and construction machinery cannot access them. Furthermore, the city's interest is to preserve the historically protected building and maintain cultural activities within it.

The leadership of Brno became familiar with the conclusions of the experts over the summer and is now negotiating the future of the building. "The offer we made to Masaryk University still stands, namely to purchase the building for a symbolic crown and subsequently modify it for the purposes for which the university has so far used it. At the same time, we are also in contact with the Scala House company, which is a partial owner of the building and has a pre-emptive right, as well as with the second tenant, the Bolka Polívka Theatre," stated Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS).

The rector of Masaryk University, Martin Bareš, considers the space unique. "Given the complexity of the issue, with several possible technical options for modifications at play, we will definitely need to know the opinions of the building authority and the fire department for a final decision, as fire safety measures are becoming increasingly stringent. We also need to find out how the situation would be perceived by heritage conservationists and other landowners on which the building is partially located," said Bareš.

According to the university's estimates, a complete repair of the building, while retaining the cinema hall and the additional level, would require more than 330 million crowns. "This is an amount for which we would need to seek funding sources. I would be pleased if we reached some conclusion in the autumn, with the question of potential purchase also needing to be addressed by the Rector's College along with the deans of individual faculties and decision-making bodies," added Bareš.

The reconstruction solution options primarily stem from the idea of preserving the shape and functionality of the Scala cinema hall without significant interventions that could affect the acoustics, projection capabilities, or hall capacity. However, this means that the space of the Bolka Polívka Theatre hall, which currently occupies two floors in height, would be reduced to one floor. The freed-up space would be used for a new steel structure. As a result, the theatre hall would cease to exist. The newly created lower space could be used, for example, for community activities or as a gallery.