Ústí nad Orlicí wants to reconstruct the basement of the Roškot Theatre next year

Ústí nad Orlicí - Ústí nad Orlicí wants to reconstruct the basement of the heritage-protected Roškot Theatre next year. Option B of the study by architect Jiří Šafr includes transforming the unused club into a café and bar with a cultural impact. Everything should be completed by the end of 2026, said city spokesperson Milan Palán to ČTK.

A group of local people expressed interest in renting the space some time ago. The opportunity to operate the basement was won in a selection process with a project that combined restaurant and café services with cultural events. Therefore, the city required the study to include the establishment of a café, restaurant, or music club and to investigate all spaces and facilities necessary for such operations, including construction modifications. Ultimately, the council chose a cost-effective option with estimated expenses of approximately seven million crowns including VAT, while the previous estimate was 15 to 20 million crowns.

"Part of the plan with which the applicants won the selection process included, for example, a restaurant where food was to be cooked and served. This is not included in option B. It is now up to the applicants to assess whether they want to implement their plan under these conditions," Palán stated.

The underground floor originally served as a restaurant with a dance hall, later as a dance club, disco, or even a pizzeria. During World War II, the spaces were used as an air raid shelter. The current form of the basement dates back to the 1990s when the interior was modified for the needs of a music club or disco. The premises no longer meet the requirements for operating the previous activities and have been closed for several years. The basement is accessible via a long staircase from the theatre's entrance hall on the ground floor or a separate entrance from the side of the building, located at the level of the first underground floor.

Roškot Theatre has been on the list of national cultural monuments since 2017. The theatre was built in 1936 from contributions from citizens, entrepreneurs, local associations, and institutions according to the design of the prominent Czech architect Kamil Roškot. Its architecture is among the distinctive functionalist buildings of the first half of the 20th century, and therefore it was included on the list of cultural monuments of the Czech Republic in 1978. Since 1993, it has borne the name of its designer.