The planned expansion of the F. X. Šalda Gymnasium in Liberec will cost the region 211 million CZK

Liberec – The extension of Gymnázium F. X. Šalda in Liberec will cost the Liberec Region 211 million crowns, over half of the construction costs in the so-called passive standard will be covered by grants from the Modernization Fund. Thanks to the construction of a new pavilion, it will be possible to add another class of the four-year gymnasium, said Governor Martin Půta to ČTK today. The construction will not be completed until the end of 2026, and whether a gymnasium class can be offered earlier will be subject to negotiations, he said.

According to Půta, the region would like to open another gymnasium class in Liberec as early as September 2025. He stated that there is space for one class at the gymnasium, which is already full today; however, a year later, more space will be needed for another year, which could cause problems since the new pavilion will not be ready until several months after the start of the school year. "And we definitely do not want this relatively demanding education at this type of school to somehow disrupt things for both students and teachers," added the governor.

With the expansion of the gymnasium, the region is responding to the increased demand for general education, as the capacity of high schools, especially in the regional city, is insufficient to meet the demand. The region has decided to use the design & build regime (design and construct), which has proven successful in transport construction. According to the outgoing deputy Zbyňek Miklík (Pirates), this is a good way to speed up construction and save some money. The contract was won by the Liberec construction company Syner in a competition, which will ensure the project and all permits, with actual construction expected to start in a year and be completed the following year.

The project includes not only the construction of a new pavilion but also the demolition and construction of a connecting neck, communication and reinforced areas, relocation of engineering networks, landscaping, minor architecture, and playground adjustments. The new pavilion will be an energy-efficient project. "It should have zero energy demand on external sources. It wasn't entirely easy to deal with photovoltaic panels on the façade because that project was conceived at a time when fire regulations did not exactly know what to do with photovoltaics on façades from the perspective of fire safety," added Půta.

The project was delayed by the necessary change of the zoning plan, as according to the city hall officials, the extension was in conflict with the valid zoning plan of Liberec. The problem was the height of the building at 17.2 meters, while the zoning plan allowed for a maximum height of fifteen meters. The region unsuccessfully argued that the building would be on an extreme slope, which allows for an individual assessment of height. However, Liberec considers slopes with an inclination of over 36.4 percent as such constructions, while the slope for the gymnasium extension is only 14.3 percent. The change was approved by the Liberec council in September, allowing the region to sign a contract with the contractor.