The three-story Baťa store in M. Lázních is facing demolition

Mariánské Lázně (Cheb region)/Zlín - The three-story Bata shoe store in the center of Mariánské Lázně in the Cheb region, which was closed last week by structural engineers due to its poor condition, is most likely facing demolition. Representatives of the company are currently negotiating with the relevant authorities about the demolition of the building, but they do not yet know the timeframe. Marketing director of Bata, Lukáš Ohanka, stated this to ČTK today.
    "The final verdict from the structural engineer is a recommendation for the removal of the building. We are currently negotiating with the relevant authorities about the demolition of the building, but we do not know the timeframe yet. No specific date has been set for now," said Ohanka.
    Access to the heritage-protected building was prohibited by the structural engineers last Friday. According to the spokesperson of the Mariánské Lázně town hall, Roman Kořán, their conclusion is that the load-bearing structure of the building is in a state of emergency. "Given the technical condition of the load-bearing reinforced concrete structure and the impossibility of its rehabilitation, it is necessary to remove the building as soon as possible," Kořán quoted the engineers' conclusion. According to them, the load-bearing structure is no longer able to reliably fulfill its function. It poses a danger to people inside the building and in its immediate vicinity. There must be a safety zone of 1.8 meters wide along the building, Kořán added.
    The news of the demolition of the functionalist building from 1932 does not please Mayor Zdeněk Král (ODS). "It's a terrible blow because it was one of the most beautiful buildings in Mariánské Lázně, at least that's how I perceived it. The Bata Palace by architect Karlík, a pinnacle of Czech functionalism, blended beautifully into the row of houses and created a counterpoint to the usual historicist-style houses," Král told ČTK. According to him, heritage preservationists will likely have a say in the fate of the building; if it cannot be saved, he would consider it a great loss for the city.
    Bata has not yet quantified the exact extent of the damage. "For now, we are only working on a technical plan for clearing the building and based on the structural engineer's statement, we are negotiating with the authorities about demolition. We will plan further steps later," said Ohanka. According to him, the company is interested in keeping Bata in Mariánské Lázně. "We will see what the options will be," he said in response to whether the company is already considering building a new structure at the original location after the demolition.