The landmark of the Liberec Region is the headquarters of the glassmaking company Lasvit

ov architects: The headquarters of Lasvit, 2019 (photo: Tomáš Souček)

Liberec – The Monument of the Year 2019 in the Liberec Region is the headquarters of the glass company Lasvit in Nový Bor in the Česká Lípa district. The jury praised the restoration and completion of two city timbered houses from the late 18th century on Palackého náměstí, which the company completed last year. The award comes with a check for 50,000 crowns and a commemorative plaque that the owner may place on the winning object. The Czech News Agency (ČTK) was informed today by the regional councilor for culture and monument care, Květa Vinklátová (Mayors for the Liberec Region).

Lasvit has been working on the restoration of two historical houses in the center of Nový Bor since 2015. "Our new headquarters is not just a classic office; it is a showcase of our vision to inspire the world and a symbol of our love for light. We chose a house that served glassmakers two hundred years ago and breathed new life into it – once again intertwined with glass and the roots that this traditional craft has in the region," said Leon Jakimič, the president of Lasvit, during the ceremonial opening of the new headquarters a year ago.

One of the houses was home to a glass manufacturing factory at the beginning of the 19th century, while the second house served as a residential building. The historical houses were complemented by two new modern buildings. One of them is a glass house clad with glass tiles that Lasvit developed specifically for this construction. Its counterpart is a black house clad in the same style, but instead of glass, the builders used a special black cement cladding tile.

The competition for the Monument of the Year was announced this year by the Liberec Region for the fifth time. The competition aims to highlight successful restoration projects of monuments and also to support them. Last year, the award was given to the Art Nouveau church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Jablonec nad Nisou. The jury praised the restoration of unique stucco plaster and the painting of its interior. This year, other candidates included the Jablonec town hall, the reconstructed castle in Doksy, the Kittel house in Pěnčín, the garden house of the museum in Jilemnice, and the restored statue of St. Agatha from Příšovice.