The proposal for heritage protection of KD Repre in Most did not succeed

Billion, or less? Most is addressing how much and for how much it will reconstruct its cultural house. Preservationists have warned against irreversible damage to the iconic building representing quality architecture of the 20th century.
The Most cultural house Repre from 1984, with a large dance hall, cinema, planetarium, puppet theater, and restaurant, has been closed for over a year. And it shows. Crime prevention assistants recently caught two boys breaking the outdoor ceiling lights on the deteriorating building with poles. It is unclear when social life will return to the dominant center of Most. Complex preparations for the reconstruction have been complicated by the coronavirus crisis, which has increased construction prices. On the table is no longer just a billion-crown project that involves relocating the city library to Repre. Politicians will also begin to address the possibility of a more economical "simple reconstruction" without moving the library. The decision on how to proceed will likely be made in the fall, by which time construction companies will provide their prices for the total reconstruction.
This February, the city council announced a public contract for a comprehensive reconstruction of Repre. The tender has two rounds. In the first, interested parties must demonstrate their qualifications, and those who advance to the second round will be invited to submit a bid. If the schedule is followed, the winner of the contract and its price will be known by the end of September or beginning of October. "Now we have a bit of a heavy head because, in the post-COVID period, when the construction season is starting up, construction work prices are skyrocketing, especially the prices of building materials,” sighed Mayor Jan Paparega when he updated the representatives on the status of the project before the summer break. Adjustments to the city budget, increased pressure to obtain grants, or alternative cost-saving options are being considered.
Even though the city had to limit its expenditures due to the coronavirus crisis, it is financially stable. Last year, it operated with a surplus and had over a billion crowns in its current account by the end of the year. In June this year, the city council transferred over 65 million crowns into a reserve and development fund, which has about half a billion crowns for financing investments. This includes funds for Repre. The goal is to add as large an amount as possible from the integrated EU subsidy package that authorities will distribute to cities in the Ústí-Chomutov agglomeration (ITI).
Most also commissioned a study for a potential simple reconstruction of Repre without adjustments for the library. The city leadership wants to present the assessment first to the chairpersons of the representative clubs. The expert firm was to submit the feasibility and cost analysis of the so-called simple reconstruction by July 9. The document should also include an estimate of expenses in case the city does not receive a grant. According to the assignment, the study should address, for example, the retention of stone facade cladding, restoration of internal elements made from natural stone, and the renewal of technologies and interiors for the cinema, small theater, community hall, planetarium, restaurant, and office spaces. The city council will then compare the simple reconstruction with the total reconstruction project of Repre. The assessment assignment states that the city wants to “objectively decide on the selected variant of the solution while adhering to the conditions of economical procedures and the purposefulness of the financial resources spent.”
The initiators of the petition against relocating the city library to Repre believe that the gentle alternative will prevail - merely restoring the original functions of the cultural house so that the library remains on Moskevská Street. This year, they therefore requested the Ministry of Culture to declare Repre a cultural monument. In June, the ministry informed them that it had not initiated the proceedings because the construction proceedings had already taken place and it was necessary to respect the city’s right to reconstruct Repre.
According to co-author of the request, Petr Dekastella, Repre belongs on the list of monuments. “Once, we had the ancient town of Most destroyed. The decision was made to preserve at least the most valuable monument, the Gothic church. In the new Most, we have several other buildings with value recognized not only by preservationists. Such buildings need to be preserved just like the church, as is done in civilized countries,” Dekastella stated.
The proposal to declare Repre a cultural monument was received by the ministry on January 19, while the building permit is from January 13. Nevertheless, the ministry requested an expert assessment of the proposal from the National Heritage Institute. The Institute described Repre as an iconic public building, irreplaceable in the context of the development of Czechoslovak architecture. “The National Heritage Institute is prepared, through its relevant expert workplace, to contribute expert consultations to the preservation and respect for the quality of the building within the principles of heritage care,” the institute stated in its position. It added that from the perspective of heritage care and the protection of cultural values, the intention of a total reconstruction is problematic and negatively disrupts the authenticity of the building. The realization of a large reconstruction for hundreds of millions would destructively and irreversibly damage the heritage values of the object, according to the institute.
If Repre were declared a cultural monument, the city would not be able to reconstruct it according to the project documentation from the building proceedings. “If the owner decides not to carry out construction modifications, to carry them out only to a small extent, or to cooperate with the National Heritage Institute in adjustments, it will be possible to reassess the matter,” stated the heritage department of the Ministry of Culture in its decision.
The reconstruction of Repre has been planned for several years. There have been several projects, but there has never been funding or grants for construction. Costs were estimated based on the scope of work from 80 to 400 million crowns. In the past, demolition was also considered. In 2008, it was planned to move the Divadlo Rozmanitostí theater to Repre and build a parking lot in the basement.
A fundamental problem is the size of Repre and its discontinued functions. Operating a huge building like a socialist representative social house has not proven effective. The original cultural purpose of the building, with high operational and personnel costs, gradually declined since the 1990s. Until the entire building was locked up in 2020, only the dance hall, planetarium, and second-hand shop were in operation. The city council sees a major reconstruction as an opportunity to revitalize central Most, following the example of cities that create multifunctional buildings with shared cultural, social, and educational functions.