Ústí nad Orlicí has a preliminary proposal for the reconstruction of the cultural house and its surroundings

Ústí nad Orlicí – The leadership of Ústí nad Orlicí has advanced in the preparation of the reconstruction of the cultural house and its surroundings. The council approved the winner of an open architectural competition with 15 participants for the initial design, and the first prize was awarded to the architectural office Kuklica Smerek architects from Bratislava. The exterior of the building from the 1980s will, according to the winning plan, not change significantly, said Mayor Petr Hájek (association Oušťáci) to ČTK.

"This is a design that is based on the original structure currently standing, preserving the façade's intricacy and mosaic decoration. It focuses more on eliminating operational deficiencies and addressing certain dead spots, but does not fundamentally change the visual appearance of the building. The proposal belongs to those that do not provoke great shocks or responses at first sight," said Hájek. The jurors appreciated, among other things, that the winning design "sensitive reinterprets the original architecture of the house, successfully identifies its qualities, and conversely eliminates errors and adds new layers that improve the building both aesthetically and functionally." All competition entries will be available for the public to view at an upcoming exhibition.

According to the competition's brief, the main hall should continue to serve primarily for balls, dance and presentation events, as well as for theater or film performances. Its variability should, therefore, be preserved. The city now wants to agree with the competition winner on the preparation of further project documentation, including minor adjustments according to the jury's recommendations, which would serve for obtaining a building permit. According to Hájek, it should be completed in about two years. The city will then seek funds for the construction modifications, with costs estimated at 130 to 150 million crowns.

The cultural house is not a listed monument, but it is located near the Hernych Villa, which is a monument. Therefore, it will be necessary to approach the modifications of the surroundings sensitively.

The building began construction in the early 1980s as a so-called assembly hall. In later phases, the city built, for example, a "catering facility" and "accommodation facility," which eventually together created the neighboring hotel Poprad. The last phase was to be the extension of the "club section" as a support for the cultural house, which ultimately did not happen; the completed foundations of the building are covered by a parking lot and a connecting path between Hernych Villa and the cultural house.