The Liberec cinema Varšava has come to life after years thanks to architecture students

Liberec - The Ještěd in a Cage event returns from today for a week, bringing life back to the former Varšava cinema in Liberec, which has been closed for four years. An exhibition of architects, lectures, films, and theater performances aim to showcase what it could serve in the future. The fate of the first-republic building will be decided by the city council on Thursday. They have two options: either sell the building or repair it with the help of European funding and keep it, said Jiří Šolc (Liberec to citizens), the economic deputy to the mayor, to ČTK today.
     Local authorities have been considering selling the building for at least seven million crowns since March. A group of architects and other enthusiasts, who formed the Save Varšava Cinema association, is opposing this. They have even prepared a project that includes not only the renovation of the dilapidated building but also its transformation into a multifunctional cultural hall. There should be an art cinema for all generations, a space for exhibitions, or theater performances.
     "We would like to involve the art school and the Home for the Mentally Disabled in Harcov, which could run a protected café here," said one of the founders of the association, architect Ondřej Pleštil.
     The association estimates that the reconstruction of the building and the equipping of the hall would require about 45 million crowns. With the European funding, the city's share would be around eight million.
     However, according to Šolc, one serious problem needs to be resolved. "The funding provider confirmed to us that there cannot be commercial rent there," he outlined. There is a popular restaurant, Maškovka, that has been long-term leased in Varšava, which pays the city 300,000 crowns annually. If the city hall wants to apply for European funding, the operator of the pizzeria would have to be given notice, according to Šolc. The building cannot be divided in the real estate registry, and the city does not have the funds to cover the renovation solely from its budget.
     The Varšava cinema is located on Frýdlantská Street in the city center. The oldest part dates back to 1922. The brick, partially basement building has three floors and its own gas boiler room. The ground floor features an entrance vestibule, a cloakroom, and a screening hall, and on the first floor was originally a second vestibule, a balcony, and a buffet. Part of the building added from Mariánská Street, where the Maškovka restaurant is today, also dates back to the 1920s.
     Interested parties can view the exhibition of architectural designs by graduates of the Faculty of Architecture in Liberec at Varšava in the evening until Sunday. The event also includes so-called live evenings, during which authors will present their designs. Today, for example, a documentary about the film Journey to the Moon will be screened at 21:00, along with an evening tour of the building. Films, concerts, and theater performances are also prepared for the following days.
     Detailed program is available at www.kinovarsava.cz.