Ostrava wants to build an international cultural center

Ostrava - An international cultural center could be opened in Ostrava in 2020. It is to be created in the annex of the former historic slaughterhouse, which will become the new facility for the city gallery Plato Ostrava after reconstruction. This was stated by Mayor Tomáš Macura (ANO) to reporters today.

The city purchased the annex with an area of approximately 5,000 square meters for nearly 38 million crowns. "We acquired the area of the new slaughterhouse, which is adjacent to the historic and monument-protected slaughterhouses. We were considering what purpose to use these buildings for, whether to expand the Plato gallery in the future or give it another function," said Macura.

Ultimately, the city decided to use the annex for a multifunctional and creative cultural center. Similar facilities, according to the mayor, operate in Prague, Plzeň, and Košice. "We want to support creative arts. It should be a multifunctional space that could combine various types of art - theater, scenic, dance, music," Macura stated. Thus, the building will include not only halls after reconstruction but also facilities or accommodation for performing artists.

The city has now decided to announce a competition for an ideal proposal. The outcome should not only be functional use of the spaces but also a proposal for their future arrangement. The competition aims to be announced in the coming days, and the city wants to have these proposals available by June. For the three best entries, a prize of 180,000 crowns is prepared. The city will sign a licensing agreement with the author of the best proposal and purchase it from them for 30,000 crowns.

"It would serve as a basis for the elaboration of a study and then project documentation for the reconstruction of those buildings," said the mayor. The city would subsequently lease the modernized facility, and its operator could apply for grants from the city or other institutions. Macura believes that there is a demand for such a facility in the city.