Jablonec nad Nisou is once again looking for a company to repair the valuable Kantor Villa

Jablonec nad Nisou – Jablonec nad Nisou is once again looking for a company to restore the valuable Kantor villa. The functionalist building is a protected monument; in the first tender, the city received only one bid, but the price significantly exceeded the estimated costs, so the municipality reissued it. The costs for the restoration of the building, including restoration work, were estimated by the project designers to be nearly 40 million crowns excluding VAT, said the city’s spokesperson Jana Fričová today to ČTK. Jablonec would like to start the work this fall.

The villa, located near the Jablonec reservoir, was built by doctor Alfréd Kantor; it is one of the most valuable objects of this style in the region. The four-story house resembles the famous Müller villa in Prague. It was constructed 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 features have been preserved. The municipality purchased the villa in 2017 for 8.121 million crowns.

In 2023, the municipality announced an architectural competition for the solution of the villa, with 28 studios and ateliers applying. The winning design came from the Prague studio Objektor architekti, which then developed the project documentation. "We will strive to preserve everything that remains here and was designed by architect Kulka. Unfortunately, not much has survived; the interventions in the 60s were quite drastic," architect Jakub Červenka previously told ČTK.

The restoration of the villa, including furnishings, garden adjustments, and exhibitions, is estimated to cost Jablonec around 54 million crowns excluding VAT, of which 45 million was obtained from EU and Liberec region funds. "This is not just a regular reconstruction of the house. We are restoring an exceptionally valuable building, where it is necessary to respect the original architecture, materials, and individual historical elements. The extent of the restoration work corresponds to this. Our goal is to find a quality contractor," said Deputy Mayor Jakub Chuchlík (Pirates).

The previous tender process was canceled by the city in May because only one bidder applied with a bid price of 54.65 million crowns excluding VAT, thus exceeding the estimated price by nearly 38 percent. "The reconstruction of the villa is an exceptionally important project for Jablonec. Therefore, we must pay close attention to the conditions under which we award it, we want to keep the project economically under control," Chuchlík added.

A visitor center with exhibitions will be established in the villa, and the original, partially preserved built-in furniture and other preserved components will be professionally restored. The newly modified spaces will house an educational center, which will host both academic and popular lectures for schools, professionals, and the general public. The municipality plans for year-round operation, for which it will build technical and technological facilities. The renovated villa is expected to open to visitors in spring 2029.