The Faculty of Science in Olomouc received 148 million CZK for repairs

Olomouc - The Faculty of Science at Palacký University in Olomouc has received 148 million Kč in grants for two projects to modernize the complex on Šlechtitelů Street. The renovation of the premises and the expansion of existing buildings will primarily improve conditions for teaching biological disciplines. University students can look forward to new classrooms, a modernized auditorium, and a greenhouse in the autumn of 2019. Construction is expected to begin next spring, faculty representatives informed ČTK today.

The first project, for which the faculty received a grant of 89.3 million Kč, will focus on the ground floor areas of building number 47, which did not meet the needs of modern teaching and hygiene standards. Construction work will affect the atrium, microscopic hall, and auditorium, and the capacity of the teaching spaces will increase from the current approximately 240 to 350 students after reconstruction. "An extension will be added to the existing building, which will be glassed, airy, and integrated into the surrounding greenery. It will symbolize the openness of the university environment," said the faculty secretary Jana Zimová.

At the same time, construction will begin in the nearby building number 53, where the greenhouse, which primarily serves the Department of Botany, is to be rebuilt. The school received 58.3 million Kč for this project. "The new greenhouse will have a higher structure and all conditions for controlled plant cultivation that meet current trends. Students will gain new changing rooms, toilets, and a recreation area. A new pedological laboratory will also be created within the project, which will be used by students of the emerging field of phytopathology and students of ecology," Zimová added.

According to Gabriela Sýkorová Dvorníková, spokesperson for Palacký University, workers are currently active on the site. In May, the first phase of repairs to the campus’s infrastructure, including roadways, began and will last until mid-2019. The repairs relate to the main street of the complex, which will be transformed into a pedestrian zone, as well as adjacent roads and sidewalks. The work will cost 35 million Kč, with most of the funding coming from central university sources, the spokesperson added. The area after reconstruction will be complemented by new greenery and the creation of facilities for joint events.