Art fields and studios are settling in a new building in Plzeň

Plzeň - The relocation of artistic fields to the new building of the Institute of Art and Design (ÚUD) at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň will take several weeks. The construction, costing more than 200 million crowns, resembles an open factory hall and is an architectural solution and concept unique in Central Europe. The relocation has already begun. The first students will graduate in the building for the first time in September, with a ceremonial opening planned for October 18, which will be marked under the name of the world-renowned artist and designer and Plzeň native Ladislav Sutnar, director of ÚUD Josef Mištera told ČTK today.
    "Finally, we have our building, we have been longing for it since 2004. It is a large enough building, designed to be maximally flexible, adaptable to any new field," he described. Due to high competition among suppliers, the budget for the construction has been reduced from the originally planned 320 million to 205 million CZK.
    The three-story building, measuring 100 by 40 meters and 11 meters high, resembles a factory for art. It offers 6000 square meters of space for studios, workshops, and laboratories, plus a walled courtyard that will serve as an outdoor studio, covering an area of 1000 square meters, Mištera said. Compared to today, the studio areas will double in size.
    The artistic fields will operate in open spaces, where the studios will be separated rather symbolically, perhaps by dividers made of cabinets. "The aim is to make it as permeable and open as possible, to inspire and motivate cooperation between the various fields," the director stated. The flexible layout will allow for quick changes in the studio floor plan, making it easy to respond to changing needs, the emergence of new fields, or even to convert the entire space into a gallery. By shifting part of the southern wall, a stage with basic infrastructure will be created.
    The relocation began in these days, and moving one field takes about one to two days. Teachers are also ensuring that everything is settled and prepared so that classes can begin on September 20. The moving process should be completed by the end of August.
    The building will bear the name of Ladislav Sutnar, and the ceremonial opening of the building in October will be held in his honor. Sutnar will posthumously become an honorary citizen of Plzeň, a commemorative plaque will be unveiled at his birthplace, and there will be an exhibition of his posters in the university gallery named after him. In the evening, the new building's spaces will be enlivened by a multimedia show with musical performances, a fashion show, projections, presentations of studio work, as well as artistic performances by students from the theater school in Turin. ÚUD is expected to transform into the Faculty of Art and Design of Ladislav Sutnar within about a year.
    Until now, ÚUD has operated in Plzeň at eight locations. It has nearly 500 students and 60 pedagogues. The focus of the education is on design and applied arts. The institute started ten years ago under the Faculty of Education at the University of West Bohemia with 80 students.