Plzeň will convert the former depot for culture, the halls will open in the spring

Plzeň - Plzeň will begin basic renovations in the area of the former depot on Cukrovarská street this autumn. The company Plzeň 2015 will move most of its activities, originally planned to take place at Světovar as part of the European Capital of Culture (EHMK), into two halls with an area of 3000 square meters and several smaller spaces. The former transport company depot will open to the public in March with a music festival, followed by exhibitions. Until then, the halls need to be cleaned, separated by a partition, a new heating system must be installed, and further minor adjustments need to be made, said Jiří Sulženko, the program chief of Plzeň 2015.
    "The depot allows us to fulfill most of the functions planned for Světovar, the condition of the building is even better, the users left it recently," he stated.
    The transport company used the depot on Cukrovarská street for 115 years, moving to a new depot in August. Plzeň 2015 obtained the facilities on loan from the city for three years. The council also released 7.2 million crowns for the renovations.
    According to Sulženko, most of this money will be used to ensure heating for the complex. "The old steam boiler must be taken out of operation because it does not have the necessary inspections and its operation is very expensive. The radiators will need to be replaced, and a heat exchange station will be installed, which will consume more than half of the budget," he stated.
    The rest of the funds will be used to ensure fire and hygiene standards, such as replacing regular doors with fire doors, a new partition dividing the two halls, installing minor electrical works, and repainting part of the space. "It will be fine, it will be high quality, clean, pleasant for the public, but simpler compared to Světovar," Sulženko remarked.
    Plzeň 2015 will utilize the former bus repair hall and heavy repair hall, which together with a large courtyard form an L-shaped complex. The program also includes several smaller spaces to serve as workshops for the public and so-called shared spaces.
    The core of the program in the depot in 2015 will consist of weekends dedicated to the culture of individual European countries. Two large exhibitions are also planned, one drawing from family photographs of people from Plzeň, the other focused on design. Plzeň 2015 is also negotiating further use of the spaces with partners, such as Tanec Praha, the International Theatre Festival, and theatrical co-productions are being prepared.
    Plzeň had to find alternative spaces for the EHMK program because the construction of the so-called cultural factory at Světovar became complicated. Dangerous tar was found in the insulation of the building in the spring. It is still unclear whether the project will be realized.