The Mayor of Pardubice will propose that the city repair the Gateway of Athletes

Pardubice – The Mayor of Pardubice, Martin Charvát (ANO), will propose that after the repair of the summer stadium, the reconstruction of the Gate of Fighters, which is a protected monument, should follow, he said today to the city councilors. The city has been repairing the stadium since April, but the monument is not part of the reconstruction.

The repairs of the summer stadium are expected to conclude in January 2023, when the construction company will hand over the completed work to the city. The stadium was built in 1931 and was designed by architects Karel Řepa and Ferdinand Potůček for the first nationwide exhibition of physical education and sports in Pardubice. At that time, the stadium was called Masaryk’s all-sports stadium.

"We are arranging to present the individual steps for revitalizing the Gate of Fighters to the council in the near future," said Charvát.

The Gate of Fighters has been a monument since 2016. According to conservationists, it is a valuable work of functionalism. Due to the financial limit of the summer stadium repairs, the city is currently not repairing it. "The Gate of Fighters does not have to be just a historical monument, but it could also be functional. It could be used by the winter stadium, and cultural events, concerts, and theater performances could take place there," said Jaromír Chmel from the construction company Poor, which is repairing the summer stadium.

The construction company took over the stadium in April. They are currently doing demolition work. They are expected to start drilling piles for the stands at the turn of October and November. The western gate is also a protected monument. Its appearance after the repair will resemble its form from 1931.

"The proposal primarily considers the restoration of the high columnar appearance and the arrangement of windows. Due to the necessity of preserving the load-bearing column system and the roof of the existing stand, the demolition work had to be carried out with great care and largely manually, which is very time-consuming," stated Jana Mašínová from the communication department of Poor.

After the modernization, the stands on the individual cardinal sides will remain separate. The capacity of the stadium will be 4,600 spectators and will meet the parameters for the first league. If needed, further construction of the stands could create up to 8,000 seats. The stadium will meet the parameters for the first football league. The modernization is expected to cost around 385 million Czech crowns.