The Olomouc Faculty of Arts has completed the restoration of historical buildings

Olomouc - The Faculty of Arts of Palacký University in Olomouc has completed an extensive reconstruction of two historic buildings on Křížkovského Street. Thanks to a nearly one hundred million CZK subsidy, former canon residences have become a top-notch educational and research facility, said Radek Palaščák, the university spokesperson, to ČTK today. The reconstruction highlighted interesting historical fragments of these buildings. The repairs affected six departments.
    "The renovations of the buildings began on January 20, 2014, and lasted ten months. This is the most extensive investment activity of the Faculty of Arts since the reconstruction of the Convent. The project's expenses amounted to 95.1 million CZK," Palaščák stated. Nearly 81 million CZK was secured from the Operational Program for Science and Research for Innovations, and 14 million came from the state budget, he added.
    New research facilities have been established in the reconstructed buildings. These include a specialized laboratory for psycholinguistics and lexicostatistics with unique technological equipment, the first center for experimental political science in Central Europe, an interpreting laboratory, translation and language classrooms, as well as new libraries. "The modern spaces allow educational and research staff to conduct science and research at a current global level and to implement progressive study methods using information and communication technologies and audiovisual techniques," stated Ondřej Kučera, the Vice-Rector for Organization and Development.
    The reconstruction of the former canon residences also drew attention to interesting historical fragments, which have been sensitively integrated into the restored spaces. These include the former private chapel on the first floor of building number 12, which is richly decorated with a fresco. There is also a Gothic-Renaissance chapel with a ribbed vault, as well as painted beam ceilings. "By combining historical spaces with the spatial requirements of the Faculty of Arts, a dignified architectural layer has emerged, which carries the heritage to future generations," stated architect Tomáš Machovský.
    University representatives had previously stated that the repairs to the buildings would affect six departments of the faculty - the Department of Applied Economics, Asian Studies, Philosophy, Dutch Studies, General Linguistics, and the Department of Political Science and European Studies.