<Karlovarský kraj> announced a contract for the renovation of the <Císařské lázně>

Karlovy Vary - The Karlovy Vary Region has announced a public procurement for the reconstruction of the Imperial Baths. The procurement procedure was approved by the regional council. The estimated value of the contract is 483.9 million crowns excluding VAT, the spokesperson for the regional office, Jana Pavlíková, informed ČTK today. The repair of the national cultural monument has been in preparation for many years, and the terms of the repairs have changed multiple times.

"The announcement of the public procurement is a very significant step for us, which will notably move us towards the start of the complete reconstruction of the Imperial Baths. The national cultural monument has been deteriorating for 18 years, waiting for repairs, and no one has yet succeeded in starting the comprehensive restoration of the building," said the regional governor Jana Mračková Vildumetzová (ANO).

As she recalled, previous proposals for reconstruction included alterations to the heritage-protected building, and therefore, it had not been possible to obtain consent from conservationists before. "We want to restore the monument as it is, without interfering with its appearance," she added.

The deadline for submitting bids is 45 days. Bids will be evaluated based on economic efficiency according to the lowest bid price.

The region provided the procurement documentation for review to the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic as the provider of a 250 million crown grant. The region has prepared 200 million crowns in its budget outlook for the construction, with co-financing from the city of Karlovy Vary reaching 100 million crowns.

"This is a large-scale contract for which we have conducted a thorough construction-technical survey," the governor added. The main reconstruction includes 70 percent of the restoration work, with the remaining 30 percent to be contracted out if funding is secured. The plan also includes the restoration of interiors, including wooden parts of the building, such as paneling, door and window fittings. The façade will see repairs to the plaster, stone columns and pilasters, cladding, and decorative elements. The roof covering will also be replaced.

The pseudo-Renaissance multi-storey spa building was constructed between 1893 and 1895 according to the design of Vienna architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer. The building was used for balneological purposes until the end of the 1980s. Subsequently, a casino operated in Zander’s Hall. The building has been closed and has fallen into disrepair since 1994.