Česká Lípa is preparing the reconstruction of the Crystal Cultural House

Česká Lípa - Česká Lípa is preparing the reconstruction of the Crystal Cultural Center. The costs are preliminarily estimated at 300 million crowns. The building is outdated, no longer meets current needs, and its technologies are aging. The reconstruction could also resolve long-standing discussions about the city library, which is located in inadequate spaces. The project plans for it to be relocated to Crystal, said Czech Lípa Mayor Romana Žatecká (ČSSD) today to ČTK.

The multifunctional Crystal building was designed by architect Jiří Suchomel and his team. The modern structure complements and encloses the garden of the Czech Lípa museum. It is partially embedded in the terrain, and the sloped southern facade acts as a solar energy air collector. The partial embedding in the ground, good thermal insulation, and the possibility of heat accumulation in the building’s foundation create an overall concept of energy efficiency. The project began in 1975, but the cultural center was only opened in December 1990. In addition to two main halls and a foyer, the building contains a cinema, restaurant, ballet hall, and gallery.

"The cultural center is in use, but I believe that its best years are behind it and that it can no longer meet the needs of the modern person and their cultural needs," said Žatecká. Even after the reconstruction, according to her, Crystal will continue to serve culture. "There will be a restaurant, which people are accustomed to and which is part of the cultural operation. The cinema will remain, but a library will be added - large, spacious, modern, glass-enclosed, which should become a meeting place for people of various age groups," the mayor stated. The large hall will remain, but the city does not count on it serving as a theater as previously considered.

The city hall already has a solution study, which was prepared for the city by the author of the original project, Jiří Suchomel. Whether it will actually be realized will depend on the people. Coinciding with the regional elections in October, a survey will be conducted in the city to show what the residents of Czech Lípa prioritize in terms of investments. According to Deputy Mayor Juraj Ranica (ODS), the city has projects in some stage of development worth 1.3 billion crowns. "But we are only talking about those that exceed 50 million crowns; there are other smaller ones," he said. In the investment fund, Czech Lípa has nearly 224 million crowns prepared, and it plans to request additional funds from European and state sources.