The Liberec Region received ten comments regarding the planned revitalization of the park near the museum

Liberec - The Liberec Region received ten comments regarding the planned revitalization of the park near the North Bohemian Museum in Liberec, some of which were incorporated. However, they rejected comments requesting that the park remain unchanged. The park urgently needs restoration; some trees are in poor condition and even pose a danger, as recently demonstrated by a falling branch from one of the pines. The appearance of the park should return more to the original concept of the space, said Přemysl Krejčiřík from the Krejčiřík Studio, which prepared the project, to ČTK today.

"There are 62 trees here, they are 120 years old, aging together; we want to plant 17 new trees, 11 trees will be cut down, so about a third will be new trees. We will solve it by ensuring that the water that falls here seeps in, and the remaining trees and vegetation will have enough moisture. We will plant new flowers; the park will come to life," the architect described the plan. The concrete paving will be replaced with paving stones set in a bed that allows for water absorption; the park paths will be renovated, and a water feature will be added, which was already considered at the end of the 19th century.

The view of the museum, which is currently obscured by rhododendrons, should also be opened up. "When you stand in front of the museum today, you don't know where the entrance is," said Krejčiřík. They therefore want to transplant six rhododendrons that block the view of the museum and create a flower bed in the area with flowers that previously grew in the gardens of neighboring villas along Masaryková Street. The new layout aims to rehabilitate the original scheme from the time the park was established, and the space will offer, for example, 14 benches and ten chairs with backs, as well as a place for picnics.

During the presentation of the plan in May, a heated discussion arose, leading to a petition against the planned changes, which was signed by 1,760 people in the city of one hundred thousand. Opponents reject the planned revitalization as too expensive and radical. Costs are estimated at 27 million korunas. "Some residents of Liberec believe that the park is fine and only requires regular maintenance and minor adjustments. However, those who understand their field, such as landscape architects, gardeners, dendrologists, and architects, see its progressive deterioration and know what will happen in the coming years. And that news is not favorable," said museum director Jiří Křížek.

The history of the museum park dates back to 1876 when the Friends of Nature Society established the first public botanical garden in the Czech Republic at this location. However, the original garden completely disappeared under several meters of fill about 20 years later during the construction of the museum building, and a new one was created nearby. Among the most significant specimens are aged native species, such as European beech and Norway spruce, probably planted during the construction of the museum building, or the dendrologically rare Eastern spruce, which is over a hundred years old. There is also Ajan spruce, red oak, larch pine, and Nootka cypress.

The project for the park's restoration was prepared by Krejčiřík Studio, which specializes in the restoration of historical objects. Its architects are also responsible for the restoration of the park at Sychrov Castle, the gardens of the Kuks Hospital, and the Tugendhat villa in Brno, as well as the flowering gardens in Kroměříž. Interested parties can find the complete presentation of the planned revitalization on the Liberec Region's website and on YouTube.