Architect Pur has a statue in the center of Hradec Králové in the shape of a cyclist

Hradec Králové - In the historic center of Hradec Králové, a statue commemorating the architect Alexander Pur was unveiled today, who has influenced the appearance of several significant buildings in the regional town over the past decades. The metal statue by Tomáš Misík depicts Pur as a cyclist in slightly life-sized proportions. It stands in the middle of Malé náměstí. Pur died suddenly in 2011; on Tuesday, January 31 of this year, he would have turned 70 years old.

The town hall symbolically placed the statue in locations that are close to Pur. "He participated in nearby projects, specifically the reconstruction of Klicperovo Theatre and the Beseda theatre studio. The central part of Malé náměstí is an imaginary intersection of these two places," stated the town hall spokesperson Magdaléna Vlčková.

Pur also contributed as a co-author to the creation of the building of Česká pojišťovna on 28. října Square, residential buildings Na Střezině, and the renovation and extensions of panel buildings on Jungmannova Street. He was a member of the team that won the competition for the reconstruction of Benešova třída and designed the building of the Ministry of the Interior's Health Insurance Company on Wonková Street. In 2012, Pur was posthumously awarded the Primus Inter Pares prize by the Hradec Králové town hall for his significant and noticeable contribution to the architecture and construction of the city.

Some Hradec councillors raised concerns that the town hall acquired the statue without a competition or public discussion. According to opposition councillor Martin Hanousek (Change for Hradec), there should have at least been an expert discussion before acquiring the statue. According to spokeswoman Vlčková, the city council used its authority and decided on the acquisition of the statue itself last December. "The councillors wanted to commemorate an important figure for the city. The statue cost 250,000 crowns," the spokeswoman added.

According to mayor Zdeněk Fink (Hradec Democratic Club), the statue does not necessarily have to remain in Malé náměstí. "He is, after all, a typical Hradec cyclist," the mayor stated. The installation of the statue onto the pavement of the square was not complicated, and relocating it elsewhere should not pose a problem. Next to Pur's statue, there will also be a granite column of a sundial. It was damaged by an inattentive driver last spring, and the clock is currently under repair.

The town hall is convinced that Pur's statue will not meet an unfortunate fate like that of the monument to former mayor František Ulrich. The monument made of Prachatice diorite, costing 3.5 million crowns, was acquired by the town hall in 2010, but after eight months, it was removed from Svobody Square to the storage of municipal services. The work was criticized for its alleged low artistic and craftsmanship quality.