In Ústí n.O., a city gallery will be created from the former boiler room

visualization: MS architects

Ústí nad Orlicí – The considered city gallery that could arise from the former boiler room and power distribution center in the area of the former textile factory Perla 01 in Ústí nad Orlicí could also expand to include an exhibition focused on textile manufacturing and textile engineering. This had a great tradition in the city in the past. The city is currently refining the spatial requirements for future exhibition areas, said Mayor Petr Hájek (Oušťáci association).

"We would definitely create some museum corner referencing textiles and the Perla factory. It probably wouldn't be a large textile museum; the main purpose would be gallery-oriented," Hájek stated. There is already a city museum in Ústí, but there is a lack of exhibition spaces for fine arts.

The new gallery should include, for example, a permanent exhibition of sculptures by local native Quido Kocian. The city owns several of his works, but the main part of the exhibition would consist of loans from a private collection. Plaster models could also be exhibited. Currently, smaller art exhibitions are held in the Gallery under the Town Hall, but the spaces are cramped.

The reconstruction of the boiler room and power distribution center is estimated to cost between 50 to 70 million crowns; without subsidies, the city cannot undertake the reconstruction.

According to Hájek, the buildings would retain their current industrial character even after the reconstruction. However, the investment will have to wait until the city completes the costly construction of the House for Children and Youth in the former factory, which will cost 94 million crowns including VAT, and for which the city has received a European grant of 30 million crowns. Ústí previously began negotiations for a loan of 100 million crowns for the revitalization of the Perla area; thanks to the grant, it will also be able to use it for other purposes.