The reconversion of the Ostrava gas holder will begin in January

Ostrava - In the industrial Lower Vítkovice area in Ostrava, a visible transformation of the gas holder from 1921 will begin in January. A national cultural monument will be transformed into a multifunctional center with a congress hall and gallery by 2012. The transformation of the original gas holder will start with the challenging lifting of its sunken upper part by 13 meters, which may take up to a month. Architect Josef Pleskot, who designed the transformation of the gas holder and the entire urban plan for Lower Vítkovice, stated this to ČTK.
    The Lower Vítkovice Association (DOV), whose members include companies from the VÍTKOVICE MACHINERY GROUP and the VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, will invest over one billion crowns this year into the transformation of the industrial area near the center of Ostrava. The restoration of three monuments - the gas holder, the sixth energy center, and one of the three blast furnaces - started last year. However, the first visible changes will be seen precisely in the giant circular gas holder, where preparatory work is peaking.
    "Few people remember the appearance of the gas holder in its prosperous filled position, where it reached a height of about 26 meters. Currently, its upper 'bell', where blast furnace gas was accumulated, is sunken in the lower part, which was originally filled with water," the architect explained. The goal will therefore be to lift the giant bell of the gas holder to a position higher than the original.
    According to Pleskot, lifting the bell using nearly forty jacks will be very challenging, mainly due to their synchronization. The bell is distorted, so it will probably snag during lifting. "In an hour, it will rise by about six centimeters. With possible technological pauses, we estimate that it could cover those 13 meters within a month," he indicated.
    The total height of the gas holder should ultimately exceed 30 meters. Compared to its original form, it will be further increased by a skylight needed to let light into a facility that has seen almost no one enter for 70 years. According to Pleskot, raising the bell will create such a large space that one city block defined by four streets could be covered entirely by the gas holder.
    According to Pleskot's proposal, the original appearance of the gas holder will be preserved, and a new building will be located within its interior. The congress hall will accommodate 1,500 people, who will see the blast furnace through a glass wall behind the stage. The modern center will also include a gallery, where the Chagall Art Center will relocate. "We will operate the largest exhibition space in the region over 1,000 square meters with facilities," said center director Petr Pavliňák.
    According to the director for the strategy of Vítkovice Engineering Jiří Michálek, the tender for the insertion part of the gas holder should end in April, when the DOV association will sign a contract with the winning construction company.
    The DOV association aims to gradually restore the entire industrial complex of Lower Vítkovice. There are 11 hectares of monument-protected areas that have become European cultural heritage. A cultural and social complex with scientific workplaces, a unique World of Technology, a university center, possibly a regional scientific library, and a public sports facility is planned to be created on the remaining 140 hectares. The development project New Vítkovice is expected to cost up to 60 billion crowns.