In the former cinema Vzlet, there will be a cinema again, along with music and theater

Prague - The Prague 10 City Hall has selected tenants for the renovated building of the former Vzlet cinema in Vršovice. The operation of the cultural space will be contributed to by the independent theater Vosto5, a baroque orchestra, and the vocal ensemble Collegium 1704, along with the Vršovice Kino Pilotů. CTK was informed about this today by City Hall spokesperson Jan Hamrník. The first cultural events are expected to take place there in the first quarter of next year. The reconstruction of the interwar building took more than ten years due to complications.

"The genre composition of cinema, baroque music, and contemporary theater creates the possibility of a unique artistic project that can become a significant part of Prague's cultural scene," stated the Deputy Mayor of Prague 10, David Kašpar (STAN). He was one of the three founders of the Vosto5 ensemble in 1996.

The Deputy Mayor does not see his previous involvement in the theater as a problem. "I have not collaborated with the theater in any way for almost 15 years. I know the members of Vosto5, but I also know three others from the total of seven applicants. Given that I am a graduate of DAMU and have spent my whole life in the cultural world, which is not exactly large in the Czech Republic, I think it is also logical," he stated. Hamrník added that the Deputy Mayor had the opportunity to influence the selection only as one of eight members of the selection committee.

Petr Prokop from Vosto5 stated that the authors of the concept aim to meet the needs of the local community, but they also want to build a significant cultural institution with national and international reach. "It will blend artistic excellence with education, entertainment, and community dimensions," he said. He added that alongside its own productions, Vzlet will seek high-quality cultural projects, such as theater performances, classical music concerts, film screenings, festivals, exhibitions, projects focused on artistic education, significant social and cultural events, conferences, or projects in public space. The operator will pay a rent of 200 crowns per square meter per year, which corresponds to about 30,000 crowns monthly.

The reconstruction of the cinema at the corner of Holandská and Norská streets near Heroldovy sady was fraught with problems; the former mayor Vladmír Novák (then ČSSD) suspended the project, which was under the stewardship of his coalition partner TOP 09, claiming it was overpriced. Subsequently, the councillors voted on its continuation and approved it. After the first publication of the tender results for the repairs, the selected firm VISTORIA CZ and its connections to former local politician ODS Tomáš Hrdlička were criticized by the opposition Pirates.

Due to earlier complications, the reconstruction has dragged on since 2008. Since 2007, the architect and scenographer Michael Klang had leased the building from the City Hall, agreeing to rehabilitate it in exchange for 15 years of rent-free tenancy. After a few years, Klang ran out of money for repairs, and the city terminated the contract at the end of 2012. For the early termination of the lease, Prague 10 paid Klang about 32 million crowns. In connection with the reconstruction, the city hall had a forensic audit conducted, which according to TOP 09 representatives confirmed that the then-city hall leadership had made significant mistakes.

The cinema building was created in the early 20th century in the art deco style as a Sokol cinema and a place for Sokol gatherings. Until the mid-1970s, the building operated as a cinema (Bio Vzlet) and was later used as a storage facility for the Film Archive. After 1989, the building came into the ownership of the capital city, which entrusted it to the administration of the tenth municipal district 16 years ago.