Jablonec nad Nisou is preparing the reconstruction of Kantor's villa

Jablonec nad Nisou – Jablonec nad Nisou is preparing the reconstruction of the functionalist Kantor villa on Palackého Street, which the city purchased in 2017 for 8.121 million crowns. The reconstruction costs are estimated by the designers at 60 million crowns. The city hall has already applied for a European grant from the ITI program of the Liberec-Jablonec agglomeration, which can provide over 42 million crowns. A selection procedure for the reconstruction contractor is being prepared, said Mayor Miloš Vele (ODS) to ČTK.

The villa near the Jablonec dam was built by doctor Alfréd Kantor; it is one of the most valuable examples of this style in the region. The four-story house resembles the famous Müller villa in Prague. It was built in 1934 according to the design of Heinrich Kulka, a student and close collaborator of the classic of modern architecture Adolf Loos. The family had to leave the villa after the war and moved to Germany. Although the house underwent an insensitive conversion into apartments in the 1960s, some original elements have been preserved according to architects.

The city has announced an architectural competition for the villa's reconstruction. "We were looking for a team that is able to reconstruct the house, but also a curator and basically an artist or someone who can interpret the stories we want to tell visitors through the villa. It is, on one hand, the story of the Kantor family that lived there, and at the same time, it is of course the story of architect Kulka. And it is also the story of Jablonec in that troubled time," added Deputy Mayor Jakub Chuchlík (Pirates).

A total of 28 studios and ateliers entered the competition for the revitalization design, and five progressed to the final round. The winning proposal was from the Prague studio Objektor architects. "We will try to save everything that has remained here and was designed by architect Kulka. We will return it to its original state with maximum care, refurbish it, and handle it as gently as possible. Unfortunately, not much has been preserved; the interventions in the 1960s were quite drastic," said architect Jakub Červenka.

After the reconstruction, the city hall intends to open the heritage-protected villa to the public. Currently, the house is only occasionally accessible or for pre-registered groups, managed by the city company Kultura Jablonec. The villa will be open to the public on Saturday, September 13, as part of the European Heritage Day, and is one of 21 buildings that will be open to visitors that day in the city. Guided tours will be available every hour from 09:00 to 16:00.