Polička wants to start the reconstruction of B. Martinů Square at the end of summer

Polička – Polička in the Svitavy region will start the reconstruction of Bohuslav Martinů Square at the end of summer or in autumn. The work will be divided over two years. The space will completely transform, with the addition of atypical furniture, greenery, and a fountain. It will also serve as a reminder of the composer who was born in the town, the city stated in a press release.

The area of 3,500 square meters is intended to be a place where people will enjoy spending time. The design was created by architects Přemysl Kokeš and Zuzana Ambrožová. They proposed planting more than a dozen trees, building an amphitheater, spaces for picnics or cultural events, and a fountain. A stream will lead from it to Riegrova Street. The water refers to one of Bohuslav Martinů's most famous works, Opening of Springs.

The composer will be depicted in a statue as a small boy running home with a violin, that is, to the tower of St. James' Church, where he was born and lived. "Unlike the reconstruction of an ordinary street, this project also addresses atypical elements of furniture and water features, as well as technical underground facilities related both to the operation of the proposed fountain and especially to the management of rainwater," said Marta Mastná, head of the Department of Urban Planning, Development, and the Environment.

Rainwater will be channeled into underground tanks and subsequently used for watering the greenery. There will also be a connection for irrigation and a potable water connection in case of severe drought. In winter and autumn, the tanks will serve as retention features to ease the operation of the sewage system. The fountain and stream will operate only in the summer months. The entrance to St. James' Church, a national cultural monument, will be remodeled to be wheelchair accessible.

The city is preparing a public tender, and the selected company will start construction at the end of summer or in autumn. For the first phase of the transformation of the square, including the project, the city has allocated nearly 12 million crowns in the budget. "I believe that the realization of the revitalization of Bohuslav Martinů Square and the adjacent areas around the church will lead to a dignified culmination of the renewal of public spaces and engineering networks in the historic center of the town," Mastná stated.