The Town Hall in Jablonec nad Nisou will be a national cultural monument from July

Jablonec nad Nisou - The Town Hall in Jablonec nad Nisou will become a national cultural monument from July 1. The city has invested over 150 million crowns in the renovation of the functionalist building, which celebrated its ninetieth anniversary last year, but many areas are still waiting for restoration. These include the ceremonial hall, as well as the basement of the town hall, where the renowned restaurant and wine bar Boccaccio used to be. Its operation was stopped 30 years ago due to a sewage accident, and it now serves as storage, said Marek Řeháček, the secretary of the municipality, to ČTK.

Most of the repairs and renovations in the heritage-listed building have so far been financed by the city. Thanks to its inclusion among national cultural monuments, the city now has a greater chance of obtaining grants for the restoration of the town hall, according to Mayor Miloš Veleh (ODS). A further phase is currently being prepared for 25 million crowns. "We have a chance to apply for a grant from the European Union, if everything goes well, it should be 14 million crowns. We would like to replace the portal, carry out restoration of the side walls, and what is very important for the public is that we would like to make accessible the balconies that have been closed for years," the mayor added.

The town hall in Jablonec was built between 1931 and 1933, it is a significant building of Czechoslovak interwar architecture and the most well-known work of Liberec architect Karel Winter. Work on the restoration of this valuable building has been ongoing since 2012, returning it to the form it had in the 1930s. The facade, including the windows and tower, has been repaired, and the most visible transformation is evident in the meeting rooms, with the office of the mayor also restored to its original state.

However, not everything has been preserved; for example, the halls have new parquet floors due to woodworm damage, but workers discovered the original sliding doors that separated the main hall from the adjacent salon beneath the cladding. The 1970s cubical material also concealed the original oval table of hall 201. Tables, chairs, and lighting have been replaced with replicas made according to Winter's original designs. The vestibule of the town hall is adorned with lamps based on the architect's original designs, which there wasn't enough money for at the time of construction. Last year, the cinema was also renovated, and the city restored the stained glass windows on the staircase.

In the next phase, among other things, the restoration of the granite base of the building and the inspection of steel grilles are planned. "The town hall will also receive new entrance doors made according to Winter's original design; the current wooden ones are not original, they are from the 1990s," Řeháček said. He also mentioned that they are currently discussing with architects about redesigning the ceremonial hall, which is also not original. "Where it is today, there was a café in the 1930s. A multifunctional city hall is to be created there, which will serve for ceremonies and other events, with access to the balcony above the main portal," the secretary added.