According to the ministry, the roof of the Hotel Praha in Kyselka could not be saved

photo: zachrante-lazne-kyselka.cz

Prague/Kyselka (Karlovy Vary Region) - The roof collapse during repairs at the former Hotel Prague in Kyselka in the Karlovy Vary region was apparently unavoidable. According to today's statement from the Ministry of Culture, based on the opinions of the Karlovy Vary City Hall, the roof of the building owned by Karlovy Vary Mineral Waters (KMV) was so severely damaged that it collapsed spontaneously during repairs last week. However, the Association of Associations for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage in the Czech Republic (ASORKD) disagrees.
"Despite all efforts, it was not possible to preserve more than about a third of the framework of the Hotel Prague intact, as rot, wood-destroying insects, and existing structural issues damaged the framework and its joints to the extent that a part of it collapsed spontaneously during the removal of the formwork, which was also caused by the partial destruction of the underpinning that supports the purlins," the ministry states in its statement.
It cites long-term leaks as the cause, which resulted in the rotting of part of the roof. "All elements of the framework that were salvaged, including some from the collapsed section, have been deposited and are ready for reinstallation in a framework structure that will replace the existing one to meet the requirements of heritage preservation," the ministry added.
According to ASORKD, it is unlikely that the roof, which had previously remained intact, collapsed immediately after the removal of the roofing. "It is just as possible as if the roof of the house did not collapse under the weight of the snow but only after there was no snow on it," claims ASORKD Vice President Martin J. Kadrman.
According to KMV's statement, reconstruction work will continue according to the originally agreed procedure. This means that usable parts of the roof structure will be preserved for new use so that the retention of the original roof frames can be facilitated. Unusable wooden parts will then be replaced with new ones.
The preservation of the dilapidated hotel was ordered by the heritage department of the Karlovy Vary City Hall. The Ministry of Culture is investigating the entire matter and will propose measures to ensure that the heritage value of the spa complex in Kyselka is preserved as much as possible.


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