Jablonec nad Nisou will repair the roof of the summer-decaying municipal baths

Jablonec nad Nisou – Jablonec nad Nisou will spend six million crowns to repair the roof and framework of the city spa, which has been deteriorating for years. The city hall is now looking for a contractor, hoping to use the design & build method, where the contractor provides the architectural design, project documentation, and actual construction. The Art Nouveau building from the early 20th century is a protected monument, so restorations will be supervised by conservationists, said Deputy Mayor Jakub Chuchlík (Pirates) to ČTK.

Restoring the roof of the neglected building will not be easy. "Some time ago, we had a structural-technical survey drawn up as part of all the documentation we gathered about the spa, which revealed one of the biggest risks, that is dry rot, which is present not only in the framework but also in other structures. Based on that, we commissioned a more detailed mycological assessment with an exact definition of the extent and proposed remediation. Based on that, the assignment is now published," the deputy added.

The spa was built in the center of Jablonec between 1908 and 1909 according to the design of architect Rudolf Hemmrich, who is also the author of the spa building in Nové Město pod Smrkem, proposed a church in the nearby Loučná, and designed lookout towers at Černá Studnice, Bramberk, and in Proseč. The appearance of the Art Nouveau spa building was significantly affected by insensitive modifications in the 1960s when it lost its external stucco decoration. However, the original documentation has been preserved, as well as many original elements such as windows, doors, and flooring.

The Jablonec spa was one of the first in the Czech lands, but it has been unused and deteriorating for years. Over the past 20 years, the city hall has assessed several options for its use, with the most advanced plan being the conversion into a municipal library, along with a proposal to create a rehabilitation center for seniors or studios for the University of Liberec. However, nothing was ultimately realized. The city hall also offered the building to private investors, but there was no interest.

The city's leadership would like to return the building to its original purpose. "The last phase of the economic assessment, which we commissioned in collaboration with the State Investment Support Fund, is being completed. Preliminary market consultations are being conducted," Chuchlík said. The goal is to investigate whether and under what conditions it would be possible to restore the spa operation in the building. It is necessary to assess not only the condition and solutions for the building but also the economics of possible operations. The restoration of the building is estimated to cost tens of millions of crowns, so other projects have taken precedence for now.