Liberec will have a drop during the reconstruction of the pool near the town hall.

Liberec - Liberec will temporarily relocate the artwork known as Kapka to the town hall, which has been located at the municipal swimming pool for over 40 years. The relocation is intended to protect it from potential destruction due to the upcoming extensive renovation of the swimming stadium. The reconstruction will cost three-quarters of a billion korunas. The artwork, depicting a drop of stainless steel stirring a granite surface, will return to the pool after the reconstruction is completed, which should be in two years. This was reported to journalists by Deputy Mayor Petr Židek (ODS).

"Our intention is to place Kapka somewhere here in the city center, just as we are placing statues at the town hall. It will be a signal that as long as Kapka is located in the city, the pool is still under reconstruction," said Židek. According to him, the return of Kapka to the pool will symbolize the completion of the repairs.

Although the exact location for the temporary placement of the artwork has not yet been selected, it will be near the town hall. Only the drop made of stainless steel, measuring 70 by 170 centimeters, will be displayed. The rippled surface made of Liberec granite in a six-meter circle will also be removed before the pool renovation begins, but will remain stored during the repairs. "It is not possible to dig up paving somewhere (in the center) and put the whole thing there," added Židek. The drop, created by artists Jan Lukáš and Oldřich Plíva, has been an addition to the swimming stadium in Liberec since its construction. The artwork dates back to 1983.

The complex, which includes three swimming pools, saunas, a gym, and a pizzeria, is awaiting extensive renovations, which have caused this sports facility to close since the beginning of this week. If no one appeals the results of the tender, work is expected to begin in April. The contract was awarded to the company Metrostav DIZ.

Before the renovation begins, the facility will need to be cleared out. Some items will be moved to the North Bohemian Museum in Liberec. However, according to the museum's deputy director Ivan Rous, there won't be much. "Although it may not seem like it, the pool has undergone multiple constructions, and a lot of items are an inseparable part of the building," Rous told ČTK today. According to him, they are considering taking some of the original furniture from the pizzeria, the doors of cabinets specially made for this pool, or the large clock above the pool area.

The Liberec swimming complex at Tržní náměstí was built according to the design of architect Pavel Švancara between 1977 and 1984. The repair of the sports facility is urgently needed - important technological equipment is deteriorating, and the roof is leaking. The glazing of the building is also inadequate, and the main pool's basin is leaking. The complex is also set for remodeling. The most significant change will be that there will no longer be separate changing rooms for men and women on the ground floor, but one large barrier-free changing room in the basement of the building. The wellness area will be located in the current women's changing rooms, and the fitness area will take the place of the men's changing rooms. Therefore, apart from the pools, only the pizzeria will remain in its place.