In Liberec, the second of the controversial contracts has begun - the renovation of the spa

Liberec - In Liberec today, the second of the controversial contracts began, which led to the collapse of the municipal coalition in the spring of this year. The revitalization of the municipal baths into a gallery object will cost 380 million crowns, of which 85 percent will be co-financed by the European Union. The listed building of the municipal baths will finally undergo reconstruction and new use after years. The Liberec Regional Gallery is expected to start moving in by 2013. The reconstruction will be ensured by the Pardubice company Chládek and Tintěra.
     The Neo-Renaissance baths in Liberec are among the most valuable monuments in the city. They were built between 1900 and 1902 during the peak expansion of the city according to a design by the Viennese architect Peter Paul Brang. However, in the 1980s, the baths ceased operations when a modern swimming pool was built in the city. "The post-revolution fate of this valuable building has been very sad; the people of Liberec were witnesses to its deterioration and how it became a victim of the privatization carousel," said Jiří Šolc, the economic deputy to the mayor of Liberec, to ČTK.
     The town hall purchased the building in 2005 for nine million in an auction to save it from devastation. None of the previous owners had invested in the property. In recent years, the city has invested several tens of millions of crowns into the restoration of the building, but it did not have the funds for a complete reconstruction. Now, thanks to European funds, the monument has a chance for new use. The town hall joined forces with the Liberec Region on the project, which will take over the building after the reconstruction. As part of the agreement, the region is also supposed to cover the co-financing.
     The Regional Gallery in Liberec, which will find a new home in the building, is a regional institution. It owns the fourth largest collection of visual art in the country. It is housed in a Neo-Renaissance building, built between 1871 and 1872 by the industrialist Johann Liebieg. However, a historical architectural survey has shown that the building is in a critical state. The monument is infested with wood rot and woodworm, and the load-bearing ceiling structure between the second and third floors is compromised, above which part of a valuable archive is located. Additionally, the gallery lacks a depository, and the collections are stored under inadequate conditions. The reconstruction of the building is estimated to cost around 200 million crowns, which the region does not have.
     After the gallery moves to the baths, the region will hand over the vacated building to the city. "It has not yet been decided what we will do with the building," said Šolc. However, according to him, there is a possibility to build a separate museum dedicated to the Liebieg family, which played a significant role in the development of the city in the 19th and 20th centuries. "The family has its own foundation, and it is not excluded that it could participate in the implementation of the project," added Šolc.
     The revitalization of the baths is one of two controversial projects that have been reviewed by the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition. Among other things, they led to the collapse of the Liberec coalition. The second project is the completion of the municipal pool, which was started by the construction company Syner in August. The company won the public competition with a price of 140 million crowns.