The flood complicated the reconstruction of the historic Sokolovna in Krnov

Krnov (Bruntál Region) – The September flood complicated the reconstruction of the historic Sokol Hall in Krnov. Water flooded the basement, ground floor, and the surrounding area of the building. It destroyed the work that had already been done, which the construction company will have to redo. The spokesperson for the city, Dita Círová, said this to ČTK today. The repairs are estimated to cost 54.3 million crowns. The Sokol Hall, built in 1933, was designed by a native of Krnov, architect Leopold Bauer.

The September flood hit Krnov very hard. The city is among the most affected. About 80 percent of the houses were underwater.

"Before the flood, we were preparing to pour the floors on the ground floor. We had to dismantle the already laid insulation, polystyrene, and reinforcement from the mesh network, take them outside, clean them, replace the damaged polystyrene with new ones, clean the substrate from the mud, and lay everything again," said construction technician Libor Nowak. According to him, the plaster and the wall injection against moisture were similarly affected. "We had to chip off the plaster again," he added.

Work on the ground floor of the historic building is being delayed by high humidity and the compromised structural integrity of the ceiling above the small gym. However, the flood did not stop construction work on the upper floors, where masons are applying plaster. The roof is being repaired around the dormers, and a new covering of fired tiles is being installed on the roof.

The reconstruction of the sports hall on Petrovická Street is expected to be completed by the middle of next year. The sports hall is a compactly preserved modernist reinforced concrete building with a rectangular floor plan and outdoor terraces, covered by a gabled roof with dormers. It was constructed between 1932 and 1933 according to the design of architect Leopold Bauer, a native of Krnov and a pupil of the Vienna Wagner School.

The building is inspired by the shape of a ship. The ground floor features a small hall with facilities, while the upper floor has a large hall. Most elements and structural details have been preserved in their original form. The authenticity is further enhanced by the original gym equipment built into the structure, such as rings and climbing frames.