Pražské Bio Oko is expecting repairs this year costing 12 million

Prague - The functionalist building of the Prague cinema Bio Oko is set for reconstruction in September at a cost of 12 million crowns. Prague 7 will combine the renovation of heating and air conditioning systems with modifications to the auditorium, said deputy mayor Kamil Vavřinec Mareš in response to a query from the Czech News Agency. According to him, the atmosphere and character of the interior will be preserved.
    In the first phase, workers will replace the heating system. "The current steam-based heating will be replaced by gas, which should lead to costs being reduced by up to three times," said Mareš. "Additionally, we have agreed with the cinema operators that we will proportionately increase the rent in line with this savings. We will gradually recover the costs of reconstruction from this income," he added.
    The city district plans to replace the seats, reconfigure the auditorium layout, increase the spacing between seats, and modify the seating in the balcony area. According to the deputy mayor, this will ensure a full view of the screen from all seats in the cinema. Three audience boxes will be created in place of the original historical boxes. Each is designed as a separate room for two viewers with a large window for viewing the screen. The boxes will have their own sound system, a connector for headphones, a connection for interpreting equipment, and a screen for subtitles. The renovations will also feature a multifunctional stage, a children's corner, storage space, catering facilities, and a cloakroom.
    Bio Oko is one of the last cinema halls in the Czech Republic that has preserved its original atmosphere. The building was constructed in 1940 as the last part of a newly built block of residential houses. The object is among the significant functionalist buildings in Prague. The last renovation took place in 2007 and cost the municipality about 6.5 million crowns.