In the Ostrava district of Poruba, work on the reconstruction of the Arch is nearing completion

Ostrava – In the Ostrava district of Poruba, work on the reconstruction of Oblouk is nearing completion, which began last March. While work was mainly done inside the building during the winter months, workers are now returning to outdoor activities. Everything could be finished by the turn of spring and summer. This was announced to journalists today by the city hall spokesman Martin Otipka. The cultural monument with apartments is one of the most famous buildings in the style of socialist realism, known as sorely, and serves as the gateway to one of the most populated districts of Ostrava.

"The reconstruction of Oblouk is slowly coming to an end. Now, people can still see a radical difference between the repaired and unrenovated parts. However, the proportion of the unrenovated part is quickly decreasing," Otipka stated. During the winter months, work was mainly carried out in the interior spaces, such as basements and attics. Common areas were painted, and all shop windows were replaced. "Now, the builders can again work more outside. The work continues with the hydroinsulation of the building, cleaning the facade, and restoring the sgraffito; the roof is being repaired, where ceramic fired tiles of the type bobrovka are being laid instead of the existing metal roofing," said Deputy Mayor Petra Brodová (ANO).

The Oblouk building is 250 meters long, and workers must use original methods and materials that correspond to the period of its creation due to its protected status. "It is a search for a compromise between the technical aspect and the historical appearance. Moreover, we are more dependent on favorable climatic conditions because there are many additives that we cannot use since they were not present in historical technologies. Also, it is now a problem to find craftsmen who can work with old techniques. Fortunately, they still exist and are teaching their younger colleagues,” said chief construction manager Pavel Willert.

Due to construction work, drivers also have a more complicated situation. The reason is the closure of one lane of the roadway in the underpass on Porubská Street. "Last year, the progress of the work was somewhat delayed because we could not carry out all the planned closures of both underpasses. After all, the traffic situation, especially in the summer, was quite tight, and we did not want to complicate it further. So one closure was postponed to this year. It began at the end of March, and the builders promised to try to accelerate the work as much as possible to make it as short as possible," added Brodová.

Years of efforts to repair the Oblouk faced property relations. Only in October 2019 was it possible for the district to buy back its share—128 apartments—from the company Residomo, which was the then owner of part of the apartments. As a result, Oblouk was able to consolidate properties, and preparation for the project of its reconstruction began. Eventually, all 11 entrances owned by the district will be renovated. The twelfth entrance, the house with the turret, is owned by a housing cooperative and will not be repaired. Immediately after the end of the reconstruction, work on the surroundings of Oblouk should begin. The group of apartment buildings Oblouk was built in the first half of the 1950s. Work began in June 1952, and the first residents moved in December 1954. Architect Evžen Šteflíček was inspired by Palace Square in St. Petersburg. Since 2008, Oblouk has been a cultural monument. It is the only building in Poruba that has also appeared on a postage stamp. The renovation will cost approximately 110 million crowns.