Olomouc Association requests the declaration of a referendum on the SEFO museum building

Olomouc - The Olomouc Beautification Society demands a referendum on the planned Central European Forum Olomouc (SEFO) building from the city council. According to them, the design of the art museum unnecessarily divides the public and creates animosity. This was reported today by the society's chairman Richard Benýšek. The building designed by architect Jan Šépka is supposed to be located in a gap next to the Museum of Modern Art.

The unconventional design of the museum building evokes mixed reactions from the public. "It is hard to find a public building in our region that would deepen the differences between people living here so much," says Benýšek.

According to the Olomouc Beautification Society, there should not be a memento created from public funds in the city center that would serve as another divider, imposed on part of the public by the method of "build and rule." The society has therefore called on the city council to urgently advocate for a referendum, in which people could express their stance on the new building.

The SEFO project has been planned in Olomouc for more than ten years. The new building is to provide exhibition spaces for artworks from across Central Europe and the facilities necessary for the operation of the museum. This primarily includes larger storage areas for the ever-expanding collections and a new library and study room.

The concrete new building of the Museum of Modern Art is to be constructed in a gap within the area of the city’s heritage preservation zone. According to SEFO, it could be on par with leading new museum constructions in Europe.

In 2019, the government allocated 593 million crowns for the construction of the new building. The purchase of a key plot of land measuring almost 600 m² cost 8.5 million crowns before tax.