Kinu v radnici v Jablonci should in the future return the nobility from the time of its establishment

Jablonec nad Nisou - The cinema in the historic town hall building in Jablonec nad Nisou is likely to undergo gradual reconstruction aimed at restoring its former grandeur from the time of its inception during the First Republic. At the same time, visitor comfort is set to improve, with the number of seats in the auditorium decreasing from the current 410 to 321. This is evident from the architectural concept presented to journalists today by its authors. In the future, the Radnice cinema will feature predominately red and shiny brass, with luxurious impressions intended to be enhanced by red carpets set into polished terrazzo flooring.

"We have started to view the entire cinema as a community hall, which we would like to make accessible to the wider public even outside of screening times. It is a large space with a certain level of aesthetics, where people could come to rest, mentally relax, and forget about daily stress," described the basic idea behind the reconstruction project architect Pavel Nalezený from the Raketoplán studio.

Deputy Mayor Jakub Chuchlík (Pirates) told journalists today that they are currently unable to estimate the costs of the cinema reconstruction. However, it will likely be in the millions, more likely in the tens of millions, so the work will be divided into phases. The project includes the entrance and stair hall, corridors to the auditorium and balconies, a foyer with a bar, and the cinema hall. The auditorium will be the first to be addressed, with work starting no sooner than in two years.

The cinema in the town hall has been operating since it was built, opening on October 29, 1932. At that time, it was one of the largest cinemas in the republic, accommodating 1,006 spectators in the main hall and several boxes. However, it has undergone several modifications and modernizations over time, the most significant of which was a reconstruction in the 1970s designed by architect Karel Fišer. The cinema's capacity has gradually decreased through modernizations to today's 410 seats.

According to the deputy, there are several reasons for further reconstruction. "When you walk through here, you see that it suffers from a certain aging and inconsistency in the interior. And the atmosphere is rather, let’s say, a bit awkward. But the main reason was the pressure from the cinema operators to increase the standard and comfort for viewers. This primarily lies in the quality of the seats, which unfortunately are already worn out. They have been highlighting this for several years," Chuchlík said.

However, he added that it would not make sense to simply replace the seats without a vision of the cinema's overall future appearance. "The goal of the document we are now obtaining from the architects is to have a long-term concept and opinion on the overall design of the publicly accessible areas of the cinema. Based on this concept, we will commission individual projects," he added. The auditorium will be the first to be revamped, wherein the number of seats will decrease to enhance viewer comfort. The slope of the auditorium will also change to allow those sitting in the back rows to see better, and modifications will be made to the cladding, ceilings, and lighting.

Jablonec has three cinemas; in addition to Radnice, there are also Junior and Letní. They attract around 60,000 viewers annually, with approximately 2,000 attending the Kinofest, which will have its sixth edition this week from Friday to Sunday. Over the three days, viewers can watch up to 20 films for a single pass costing 199 crowns. At the Radnice cinema, a new, albeit temporary bar will be opened during the festival, for which the city has paid over 350,000 crowns.