Ostrava University plans to build a new Faculty of Arts

Ostrava - The University of Ostrava plans to build a new Faculty of Arts, which is to be located in the Černá louka exhibition area very close to the city center. The existing facilities of the faculty do not meet its needs. This was stated today by the university rector Jan Lata to ČTK. He anticipates that under ideal conditions, the faculty could be completed by 2020.

"Our university has six faculties, and for all five remaining faculties, it has been possible over 25 years to either build new buildings or renovate them," Lata stated. Only the Faculty of Arts has been operating for eight years in temporary conditions and at two different locations. "It is not good in itself that the faculty is split. Moreover, the buildings that served another purpose have been adapted in some way. The faculty would need special facilities such as studios, rehearsal rooms, or a concert hall," the rector explained.

According to him, the construction of a new building would significantly help the Černá louka area itself. "It has been a black hole in Ostrava for decades, and it's a shame because it's a space just five minutes from Masaryk Square and the center. From this perspective, the Faculty of Arts makes a lot of sense because it would not only bring students to the center, but also attract residents of Ostrava to a number of cultural events thanks to the presence of a medium concert hall that is missing in Ostrava, as well as exhibition spaces," Lata said. The regional metropolis has been struggling with depopulation in the center for a long time.

According to Lata, the university will now negotiate with the Ministry of Education about financing options for the construction of the faculty in cooperation with the city. The rector did not want to speculate on how much the construction could cost. He stated that the building should not only have practical value but should also be an interesting architectural work. Therefore, the university agreed with the management of the Department of Architecture at the VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava that students would create a design for the faculty as part of their semester project.

"One cannot assume that their design will be realized, but I hope it will inspire further final steps," Lata noted.

In the construction of the new faculty building, the urban proposal for the development of the exhibition area, which was previously awarded in an international urban competition by the Dutch architectural studio Maxwan, would likely be utilized. The city commissioned the proposal in 2010 when it was competing for the title of European Capital of Culture 2015.