Theater performance Moscow - Petushki in the Havířov train station building

Czech Railways and the city of Havířov want to demolish the architecturally significant building of the train station. The building is one of the most architecturally successful structures built in the 1960s. We are young architects from this place who disagree with this intention. Help us save the train station building in Havířov! The leadership of the city of Havířov does not understand architecture at all and perhaps that is why they continue to promote only socialist realism, in which the larger part of the city was built. However, they do not care about architecture that is ten years younger and much more valuable. The station building was constructed in the so-called Brussels style, deriving from the international EXPO 58 exhibition. In this year, the Czechoslovak pavilion won first place here, which caused a visible loosening in architectural creation in the then communist state. Architect Josef Hrejsemnou responded to this impulse with an overall shape language, a southern glazed facade divided into bouncing glass blocks, and other elements derived from the basic V shape. An elegantly curved staircase gracefully leads into the hall, emphasizing the generous division of the building's space into two floors. Above the marble, specially laid floor throughout the reception hall, a diamond-shaped ceiling reflects. High-quality materials such as travertine stone, marble, and granite were used for the construction, which are no longer used in similar types of public buildings today because they are expensive. There are also unique custom-made accessories only for the station, mosaics on the walls, ticket feeders, lights, etc. Several original elements have already been destroyed, such as the clock on the facade and the main entrance. The building is in poor condition because the owner, Czech Railways, has not taken care of it for a long time. The building still serves its purpose well and is only 40 years old. We believe that demolishing a functional building after such a short time is a waste of money. The reasons for demolition are that water seeps into the building and it is poorly heated. All problems have arisen due to the owner, who has not taken care of the building for a long time, while everything could be easily remedied through renovation. The building may be demolished and a new one built in its place for approximately 160 million CZK. The money should be used for its repair. Existing architecture must always be replaced with something of higher quality. This demolition is nonsensical and will not benefit the citizens of the city at all. This action will be funded by EU subsidy programs!

More info at www.vlakovenadrazihavirov.cz
Petition against demolition at www.peticehavirov.cz
More info and photos about the station can be found on Facebook.

We are planning a theater performance to be played directly in the train station building by the Moravian-Silesian Theatre from Ostrava. This audience hit from the train compartment titled MOSCOW → PETUSHKY will be seen by the citizens of Havířov on October 10 at the station in Havířov. Tickets for the permanently sold-out production of the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre, which was also awarded as the best at last year’s Festival of Theatres of Moravia and Silesia, can be obtained at the email nadrazi.havirov@gmail.com.

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