The century-old granary in the center of Jihlava will not be demolished due to the road

Jihlava - The massive building of the former grain warehouse in Jihlava will not be demolished due to the planned new road. The reevaluation of the city's plans gives this 90-year-old structure with its unique laminated roof a chance for new use. Given that it is located near the city train station, which the city hall plans to transform into a central transportation terminal, the warehouse could house shops or offices. This information comes from the city hall and the building's owner.

"The recently presented study of the central transportation terminal includes the construction of a connector from the station to the roundabout in Havlíčkova Street, without the need to remove the warehouse," said Radek Tulis, spokesperson for the Jihlava city hall, to ČTK.

The warehouse on Chlumova Street belongs to the company ZZN Jihlava. "We want to preserve it," said director Jiří Lhotský to ČTK. However, according to him, this space cannot currently be used for storing grain.

The warehouse was built in 1927 by the Brno builder Johann Theimer for a German cooperative. It could hold about 150 wagons of grain. With its bell-shaped roof, the building represents an unusual landmark in the area. About a hundred people attended the special tours held on the occasion of Architecture Day.

The shape of the roof is based on the economical design of the laminated roof Zollbau, which was developed by architect Fridrich Zollinger. "It is cheaper because it is made of short wood; there are no long beams," explained architectural historian Lukáš Beran. The boards, measuring just under two meters, are connected diagonally at a precisely defined angle. According to Beran, the laminated roof is also effective. "Because there are no internal supports, the space of the roof is free. In this case, utilized for the warehouse technology," he explained.

According to Beran, about ten structures with laminated roofs have been preserved in the Czech Republic; the technology was used in Jihlava already in 1925 when constructing a family house. There are two remaining warehouses, one in Jihlava and another in Uničov, which has already been modernized, he noted.

Given that the Jihlava warehouse, along with an administrative building extension, has been preserved in its entirely authentic form, it is also of interest to heritage authorities. As Ilona Ampapová, spokesperson for the Telč branch of the National Heritage Institute, told ČTK, they would like to register the building as a monument.