H. Králové wants to start constructing a library worth a quarter of a billion this year

Hradec Králové - The Town Hall in Hradec Králové wants to start the construction of a new city library this year for about a quarter of a billion crowns. The library will be created by renovating the former Vertex factory in close proximity to the employment office building in the city center. It should be completed in 2012. Approximately 85 percent of the costs should be covered by grants from European Union funds, the deputy mayor Josef Malíř told ČTK today.
    The town hall is currently preparing to announce a tender for the company that will build the library. The winner could be known in the summer. The city council has also approved a contribution of three million crowns for the preparation of the library's collection for future relocation.
    The town hall purchased the unused factory complex in 2003 for just under 30 million crowns. The study for its use as a library was then created by architect and actor David Vávra. The existing city library is located in inadequate premises, storing books in several buildings. In its main headquarters in the historic center of the city, it currently offers only a fraction of the total book collection, which consists of 650,000 items.
    The building should retain an industrial character even after the renovation. Inside, the library will be equipped with modern library technologies, and it will include a lecture or exhibition hall, study rooms, and a café. The children's section is intended to resemble a Merkur construction set. Social events could take place on the flat roof of the building.
    In Hradec Králové, a new regional Study and Research Library was established in 2008. The construction of the modern building in the shape of an X took four years and cost 405 million crowns. In addition to library services, it also offers a conference hall with a capacity of 100 seats, a literary café, and gallery spaces. The library has risen in close proximity to two new buildings of Hradec University.