Plzeň will demolish 21 buildings in the former Světovar brewery

Plzeň - Plzeň will demolish 21 structures in the former brewery and barracks Světovar, which it plans to convert into a regional multicultural center with an archive, a lifestyle museum, and apartments. Most of the buildings will be preserved. The structures designated for removal are not under heritage protection and are unworthy buildings built mainly for storing military equipment, said Martin Zrzavecký (ČSSD), the deputy mayor, to ČTK.
    "The demolitions will not affect the transportation or technical infrastructure, nor the brick walls and greenery," he added. The costs will reach 10.5 million crowns. After approval by the council on March 3, the city will apply for grants from the program Support for the Revitalization of Former Military Areas announced by the Ministry of Regional Development, which provides up to 75 percent of the costs.
    The demolitions arise from a feasibility study for the area, prepared by teams of architects, visual artists, theater artists, dancers, and musicians. They assessed the states of the buildings, their layouts, volumes, and exterior expressions. The development strategy for Světovar, established as a brewery in the 1920s, divided the historical buildings into four categories, among them buildings declared as cultural monuments, which will be further utilized. "There are also buildings without heritage protection that are worthy of preservation and structures for temporary or permanent preservation in connection with development projects," the deputy added.
    Support for the revitalization of former military areas is intended for cities and municipalities where military garrisons have been abolished. Its aim is to contribute to the modifications of buildings and areas for new civilian uses for services in the public interest, or possibly for further business activities.
    The multicultural center will be established in a five-hectare area. In addition to the planned new theater and gallery in the city, it is to become a cornerstone of the project Plzeň - European Capital of Culture 2015. According to Milan Svoboda, the project manager, the modifications to the area and spaces are expected to cost about 100 million crowns. Additional funds will be required for private construction of apartments, shops, and offices on the vacant areas of the site, which will have a unified urban appearance. The center is expected to offer space for lively, independent, and experimental art and is to become a "cultural factory."