The renovation of the Domažlice brewery for 110 million will be completed by the end of the year

Domažlice - The completion of the reconstruction of the Domažlice brewery into a multifunctional cultural center, which was supposed to be finished in the coming days, has been postponed by two to three months. The reconstruction will cost several million crowns more. The floors in the western wing have structural issues. The southern wing and part of the western wing are already completed. Zdeněk Novák, the mayor (Association for the City of Domažlice), said this today to ČTK. The brewery building dates back to 1720 and is a protected monument, with the tradition of brewing beer in the city dating back to 1341.

The renovation of the brewery, where the hop tower was repaired in 2015, exceeds 110 million crowns. European grants constitute nearly 40 million.

"The original wooden floors in the western wing began to sag after the new structures were laid. There was a problem with the statics, and expert opinions had to be made regarding the severity of the defect and its removal," Novák stated. Problems have occurred on all floors except the ground floor, which does not have a wooden floor.

The ceiling structures have settled by several centimeters. A proposal for their reinforcement has already been prepared. "Unfortunately, it will be necessary to use iron girders, which will disturb the view of the wooden ceilings and columns that we have tried to preserve," he said. An expert has prepared reinforcement options. "The completion of the wing will be delayed by two, possibly three months," Novák mentioned.

The southern wing and the first floor of the western wing have already been repaired. The ground floor of the southern wing will house a pub, the first floor a community center, and the second a multipurpose hall. The ground floor of the western wing will feature brewing technology, a glassmaking and brewing museum, the first floor a restaurant, and the second and third floors a library, with a multipurpose exhibition hall in the attic. "We cannot open the completed parts because everything is structurally and technologically interconnected. The entire building must undergo approval," Novák noted. If no further complications arise, the entire construction should be completed by the end of the year.

The brewery will be operated by the Domažlice City Forests, which will purchase technology costing more than ten million crowns. The city will announce a competition for the lease of the restaurant. The technology in the brewery is not yet available. There have already been two tenders that had to be canceled; now the third one is being announced. "By Easter, we should already have beer, initially the Domažlice ten and twelve," he stated. The annual capacity of 3,000 hectoliters will not be fully utilized at the beginning. The brewery, which is expected to be profitable, aims to sell beer even outside its gates, for example during the Chodské celebrations.