The work on the entrance to KD Crystal in Česká Lípa is expected to begin during the summer holidays

Česká Lípa - The reconstruction of the entrance to the Crystal Cultural House in Česká Lípa should begin this summer. The contract was awarded to the local company CL-Evans, which won the competition with a bid of 12.6 million crowns, which is about 300,000 crowns less than the designers anticipated. It is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Next year, work is set to continue with the reconstruction of the foyer and the staircase to the restaurant on the first floor, said the city hall spokeswoman Kristýna Kňákal Brožová today in an interview with ČTK.

The Česká Lípa House of Culture is one of the first passive public buildings in the Czech Republic, designed by Jiří Suchomel from the Liberec studio SIAL in the 1970s. However, Crystal was not opened until December 1990. The multifunctional building complements and encloses the garden of the Česká Lípa Museum. It is partially embedded in the terrain, and the sloping southern facade acts as an air collector for solar energy. The partial embedding into the ground, good thermal insulation, and the ability to accumulate heat in the building's subsoil create an overall concept of energy efficiency. In addition to two main halls and the foyer, the building houses a cinema, a restaurant, a ballet hall, and a gallery.

According to Mayor Jitka Volfová (ANO), the building's entrance urgently needs renovation after 30 years of operation. "In addition to the entire entrance space being in poor technical condition, it does not make a very good impression on visitors. But hopefully, that will change soon," the mayor told ČTK. In the coming months, the doors, hallway, ticket office space, and restrooms on the ground floor of the cultural house, as well as the outdoor area in front of the entrance stairs, will be renovated. The cultural organization Kultura will also renovate the terrace, which is in a state of disrepair, at its own expense.

All work will be carried out during normal operations, and unless another wave of coronavirus halts cultural events in the fall, the reconstruction will not hinder any events, added the city hall spokeswoman. However, these are not the only planned repairs in Crystal. This year, Kino Crystal will receive a new projector and screen for 2.5 million crowns, supplied by AV Media Systems. Next year, the city intends to continue renovations on the ground floor of the cultural house with the reconstruction of the foyer and stairs to the first floor.

In Česká Lípa, work has also been underway since last November on the renovation of Jiráskovo Theater. The reconstruction, costing 161 million crowns, is expected to be completed by next fall. Until then, KD Crystal will be the only indoor venue for theater performances and larger cultural events in the city with 37,000 inhabitants.