H. Králové is preparing a transformation of U Koruny street, wants to leave the communist monument on it

Hradec Králové – The Town Hall of Hradec Králové has begun preparations for the redevelopment of the area on U Koruny street, which is centered around a massive concrete monument from the era of socialism known as the Gallery of Honor. The Town Hall plans to preserve and repurpose the monument. For the transformation of the area, which lies between the Koruna intersection with the Aupark shopping center and the 28th of October square, the Town Hall intends to announce an architectural-artistic competition. CTK was informed by Adam Záruba, the Deputy Mayor for heritage protection and urban planning.

He presumes that the remnant of the Gallery of Honor could become part of the new space and be used for cultural and educational purposes. In the past, the Town Hall considered demolishing the monument. "After more than 33 years since 1989, it is largely a historical thing, almost an archaeological find. Most of such things have already disappeared, and we should approach it differently," Záruba stated.

The Gallery of Honor consists of two concrete blocks, at the intersection of which is a relief of a large five-pointed star. On one block, most of the letters from the inscription "People are the main creators of history" remain. During socialism, photographs of prominent Hradec communists and workers honored by communists hung on the monument. Two flagpoles still stand at the monument. The five-pointed star is not very visible as the Gallery of Honor is partly overgrown with bushes.

"We would like to revive the place, which is currently in a catastrophic state, and give it a new appearance," Záruba mentioned. According to him, architects could complement the space with additional works, and the Gallery of Honor could be used as just a fragment, similar to the Berlin Wall. He noted that the area around U Koruny street is quite neglected. The adjacent areas of the Koruna intersection and the 28th of October square have already been renovated by the city at a total cost of nearly a quarter of a billion crowns over the past ten years.

The city could announce the architectural competition, according to Záruba, at the beginning of 2024 and evaluate it within the same year. The costs for the competition are expected to be around 1.6 million crowns. The actual redevelopment of the area, which will include the construction of roads, sidewalks, and new greenery, could, according to Záruba, cost tens of millions of crowns.

The last architectural competition organized by the city, according to Záruba, took place seven years ago, focused on the design of the Rozárka locality in Nový Hradec Králové.