Humpolec approved the purchase of Medova Villa, it will pay almost 25 million CZK for it

Humpolec - Representatives of Humpolec in the Pelhřimov region today approved the purchase of Medova Villa. The building, designed by architect Josef Gočár, is a cultural monument. The municipality will pay 24,620,000 crowns for it. Twelve representatives voted in favor of the purchase. The purchase of the property was addressed by the September council meeting, but at that time, the mayor of the town, Petr Machek (HumpolecGO!), withdrew the item from the agenda after a heated debate. He wanted to gain broad support for the purchase, not just a slim majority in the twenty-one-member council.

The discussion regarding the purchase of the property and the large garden surrounding it was calmer today than in September. Those supporting the acquisition argued that the building could also be used commercially and that it is appropriate for the town to have control over what will happen with the monument. Criticism of the purchase primarily stemmed from the lack of a more thorough assessment of the technical condition of the multi-story building and the fact that the city council did not provide a more detailed description of its intended use.

According to Machek, the concept of how the building will be operated is yet to be determined. The villa could serve as a social-cultural center and to commemorate the textile tradition in the town, it could have a separate visitor route introducing Gočár's architecture, and its garden could be transformed into a public park that would also serve children from nearby schools.

The villa was built on Tyršovo Square by fabric merchant Otakar Med between 1933 and 1934. The house served as both a family and corporate residence, and was later confiscated by the communist regime. After November 1989, the state returned the villa to the Med family.