The exhibition pavilion from 1931 in Lázně Bohdaneč could come to life as a gallery

photo: Heritage catalog NPÚ

Spa Bohdaneč – The small pavilion that represented Spa Bohdaneč at the National Exhibition of Physical Education and Sports in Pardubice in 1931 could find a new purpose. Pardubice's gallery owners are interested in it and would like to hold exhibitions there. The pavilion is in poor condition and is located in the spa park. Vojtěch Novák, director of the Gallery of the City of Pardubice (GAMPA), told ČTK.

"We would like to save it. It was not built to last long; it was meant to serve during the national exhibition, after which Bohdaneč moved it to the park. Our gallery is next to the automatic mills designed by Josef Gočár, and the pavilion is near the spa buildings also designed by Gočár, there’s a continuity there,” Novák said.

Gallery owners are negotiating with representatives of the therapeutic spa and plan to meet with them, and conservationists will also be involved in the restoration, as the single-story pavilion is a protected monument. The spa is prepared to talk about the restoration of the building, said Tomáš Růžek, head of the technical department of the therapeutic spa.

"The pavilion has boarded-up doors because youths used to break in and vandalize it multiple times. We are trying to maintain the pavilion a bit, but it will need more significant repairs," Růžek said.

The building is five meters tall and has wooden foundations, with a reed plaster that is rotting and peeling off. The structure has a rectangular floor plan from which half-circles made of glass bricks protrude on both sides. The pavilion's façade features glazed double doors.

The modern-style pavilion stands at the side entrance to the park. In the past, it served as a clubhouse for pioneers and later for scouts. The spa has never used the building for its purposes.

The exhibition in 1931 was held on Sukova Avenue and in today's Tyrš Gardens. The area around the castle first needed to be drained, and the pavilions had to be built on stilts. Thanks to the event, Pardubice became a center of cultural and social events, and the local press described it as a white fairy tale. The pavilions had white plaster that appeared clean and festive. The exhibition grounds were designed by architects Pavel Janák, Karel Řepa, and Ferdinand Potůček.

There were 27 pavilions covering an area of 15,000 m² at the exhibition. Exhibits from physical education organizations, aviation, education, post offices, agriculture, firefighters, police, industry, and works related to sports, cars, and furniture were on display, with representation from the cities including Spa Bohdaneč.

The exhibition was inaugurated on May 31, 1931, by President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. It was accompanied by national conferences, cultural events, and gatherings. Significant sporting events, including an international football match between Czechoslovakia and Hungary, were held at the all-sports stadium built by the city for the exhibition. Spectators watched cycling races and athletic games.