The project for the renovation of the cultural house Repre in Most will be created by Artech

Most - The project for the reconstruction of the Repre cultural house in the center of Most will be created by the company Artech, which won the public contract. The city council did not announce and will not announce an architectural competition for the reconstruction despite protests from some opposition councilors and local residents. The reconstruction itself is estimated to cost approximately 400 million crowns.

Opposition councilor Berenika Peštová (ANO) proposed today at the council meeting the cancellation of the public contract for the reconstruction project and the announcement of an architectural competition. However, the item was not included in the program. Jana Jungmannová then read an open letter to the mayor Jan Paparega (for Severočechy). "It is not only about responsibility for cultural heritage; therefore, we ask for the announcement of an architectural competition," Jungmannová stated.

The city leadership previously argued that there was no reason for an architectural competition because the appearance of the building would not change. "The public contract for the supply of project documentation has been awarded; we would need a legal reason for its cancellation. At this moment, I believe it is no longer possible to cancel the contract and pursue an architectural competition," the mayor said today. "Furthermore, we have a negative statement from the designer who designed the Repre building. We respect his claim," the mayor told ČTK.

The Repre cultural house is located in the center of Most next to the main street Budovatelů, right next to the city hall. The city sold the building in 2010 for 28 million crowns. In 2015, an arbitration court declared the purchase contract invalid and identified Most as the owner.

A demolition order had already been issued for the building in the past. "We decided to pursue a reconstruction to prevent further degradation of the building. This building should not have existed anymore; we decided to restore its life and its glory," the mayor said. After the reconstruction, the library could move into the building, and the cinema, planetarium, and community hall will be preserved.

The documentation preparation will take about a year. The city could announce the contractor competition in 2019. The repair of Repre is the largest modern investment of the city, with total costs estimated at 400 million crowns. The city hall hopes to partially draw funds for implementation from its own resources and will also look for grant programs.

The current Repre, formerly the Regional House of Culture for Miners and Energy Workers in Most, was built as a replacement for the demolished Repre building in the old Most, where most original buildings fell victim to surface mining of brown coal. The building permit was issued in 1972, but the construction was only completed in 1984. The building is very intricate, with some above-ground parts supported by concrete columns, and there is a dome on the roof that houses the planetarium. A shallow body of water surrounds the building. The city does not plan to preserve it.