Karlovy Vary are considering an architectural competition for the Hot Spring Colonnade

Karlovy Vary - Karlovy Vary are considering the future of the Vřídlo Colonnade. The structure, which is already at the end of its lifespan, will either undergo extensive repairs or be replaced with a new building. Both options, however, will be very costly, said the Mayor of Karlovy Vary, Petr Kulhánek (KOA), to ČTK.
    "The Architecture and Heritage Commission recommended that the council consider launching an architectural competition on how to proceed with the Vřídlo Colonnade. There are several options, preserving the existing structure or proposing a new one. Of course, it will depend on how the Vřídlo Colonnade is assessed as a project eligible for support from the European Union. Our approach to it will stem from that," Kulhánek stated.
    He mentioned that the reconstruction or construction of a new one would cost hundreds of millions of Czech crowns, and without European subsidies, the city will not have free funds for improvements to the colonnade for at least the next few years.
    The Vřídlo Colonnade is the newest of the Karlovy Vary colonnades. It was built in the mid-1970s and is an example of functionalism of that time. An Empire-style Vřídlo Colonnade was first built on the site of the gushing spring in 1826, according to the design by Josef Esche. It was then replaced between 1878 and 1879 by a cast-iron Vřídlo Colonnade in neo-Renaissance style, designed by the Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer. However, due to corrosion, the colonnade was dismantled in 1939 and replaced by a wooden temporary structure for another 27 years. In 1975, a modern glass-reinforced concrete colonnade was opened above the spring, designed by architect Ing. Jaroslav Otruba.
    Some, however, believe that the Vřídlo Colonnade does not fit into the architectural spirit of the spa center of the city. However, after 40 years, it has already become part of the city. For example, historian and Deputy Mayor Jiří Klsák (KOA) stated that although he has never liked the building much, he disagrees with demolishing it just because someone doesn’t like it. "I think it should remain for a while longer," he added.