In Čerych Villa, a creative center of the Kaplicky Centre Foundation will be established

Česká Skalice (Náchodsko) – A creative center Kaplicky creative centre will be established in the heritage-protected Čerych Villa in Česká Skalice by September 2025 for 60 million crowns. This is a project of the Kaplicky Centre Foundation, which operates the villa made famous by the film Leaving, directed by Václav Havel. Since 2022, the villa has belonged to Eliška Kaplický Fuchsová, the widow of architect Jan Kaplický. Jozef Lucák, the director of the foundation, stated this. The establishment of the center fits into a broader concept of preserving the legacy of the Kaplický family in the Náchod area. The aim of the center will also be to support, develop, and promote architecture and modern art. One of the project's partners is the Town of Náchod.

The establishment of the center in the Čerych Villa will be preceded by a complete reconstruction of the building in the art deco style. Construction work, according to Lucák, should begin in the second half of this year and will cost more than 40 million crowns excluding VAT. The foundation has received a grant from the National Recovery Plan (NPO) for nearly 40 million crowns for the reconstruction.

"The Čerych Villa is definitely not in a state of emergency, but since it has never undergone a complete reconstruction, repairs are necessary. The only major investment was the roof replacement in the 1970s. Currently, work is underway on part of the project documentation, which will adapt the villa to new construction and energy trends compared to the already approved documentation with a building permit," Lucák told ČTK.

During the renovations, some cultural activities in the villa grounds will be preserved, primarily involving concerts in the garden.

The total costs for the establishment of the center are around 60 million crowns, including technologies, equipment of the building, or funding for projects that will form the program of the creative center.

"We are interested in expanding the activities of the foundation with a creative center, which will aim to utilize the Kaplický family's archive for exhibition purposes, among other things. The center will provide a background for creative individuals in their fields. Regarding the program of the center, we also plan workshops, professional conferences, interactive exhibitions, or virtual reality," Lucák said.

According to him, the creative center in the Čerych Villa is related to the revival of the Kaplický family's legacy in the Náchod area. Jiřina Kaplická, the mother of architect Jan Kaplický, was born on March 30, 1901, in Náchod, where she spent a large part of her life. For this purpose, the representatives of Náchod approved a memorandum of cooperation with the Kaplicky Centre Foundation last December. One of the first forms of cooperation should be the introduction of artist Jiřina Kaplická, as a significant personality of Náchod, specifically by organizing an exhibition of her works, which is now in the preparatory phase.

The Town of Náchod also wants to launch a public debate in the spring about the possibility of building the Platýz Villa in the area of the Great Spa in the Běloves city district according to Kaplický's design.

The Čerych Villa has been owned since 2001 by the Foundation for the Development of Civil Society (NROS), which received the building and adjacent garden as a gift from the Čerych brothers, who were returned this property in restitution. The mission of the villa is to serve as an educational and cultural center.

Jan Kaplický (1937-2009) was a prominent architect who worked in Britain after his emigration from then Czechoslovakia in 1968.