Chrudim will present the design of the summer cinema area to the public

Chrudim - Chrudim will present to the public the current study of the future appearance of the summer cinema area behind the museum. The future of this area has been discussed for many years, and only last year the city hall, along with the MaChr association for Chrudim, reached a compromise agreement. The resulting design preserves the summer cinema area supplemented by a paved courtyard space, a part of the area will remain park, said Chrudim spokesperson Sylva Drašnarová. The study will be presented to residents by city architect Marek Janatka on April 23, 2019, in the large hall of the museum.

The area is located in close proximity to the city center, with the space behind the museum resembling a peninsula created between the river and the water channel. Dominating it is the building of the Chrudim Cultural Centre with a large community hall, and the back outdoor stairs connect the entrance area with the natural peninsula. In its central location is the summer cinema with a concrete screening area measuring 21.5 by 10.5 meters and a tiered audience.

The peninsula will be divided into two connected parts, urban and natural. The first will have a paved courtyard adjacent to the museum building, while the second will feature a city garden with a summer amphitheater. The courtyard will be filled with café tables and a space for children's games and pétanque. It will be separated from the garden by a low wall. Part of it will be paved with stone tiles, providing 14 parking spaces for the needs of the Chrudim Cultural Centre, while the rest will be compacted soil. At the edge of the courtyard, a new projection booth will be placed, and on the ground floor of this building, a buffet and facilities will find space.

The summer cinema in the middle remains preserved, and the audience will allow for versatile use from film screenings, theatrical performances, and musical productions with a dance floor to performances by large musical ensembles. The audience utilizes the original slope, with a capacity of around 300 fixed bench seats and an additional approximately 200 seats available on the grassy areas around. Between the stage and the audience is a flat area designated for dancing or the placement of a mobile stage.

"The revitalization of the area behind the museum will likely be divided into several phases. The first construction phase would be the reconstruction of the summer cinema and landscaping of the peninsula, while in the next phase the courtyard would be reconstructed; however, everything will depend on the city's financial possibilities in the coming years," stated Deputy Mayor Aleš Nunvář.

The permanent summer stage behind the regional museum was closed by the city due to its high operating costs after the summer season of 2005, having been in operation since 1958. In May 2007, the leadership of Chrudim approved the plan for the revitalization of the area up to the confluence of the Chrudimka and the water channel. The study anticipated a reduction in the number of seats, and part of the area behind the museum was to be converted into a parking lot. After the municipal elections in October 2010 and changes at the city hall, the preparation of project documentation was suspended. Since June 2011, the MaChr association has rented the area and has been organizing film screenings and cultural, social, and other events there.