The council wants to install new Philips lamps in the center of Olomouc

Philips Urbanstar lamp

Olomouc - The historic center of Olomouc will probably be illuminated this year by new Philips Urbanstar lamps instead of the lanterns designed in the 1990s during the extensive reconstruction project of the Upper Square, which were ultimately not installed. The council members assigned the Investment Department of the City Hall on Monday to continue preparing the replacement of the old lighting in the center of Olomouc and prioritize Philips lamps. The author of the Upper Square reconstruction disagrees with the Philips lamps and is planning to file a lawsuit.
    Olomouc has been debating for several months on how best to illuminate the Upper Square. After the completion of the Upper Square reconstruction in 2001, it was found that the installed Thorn lamps provide insufficient light. Therefore, the city hall has now proposed that Philips lamps, which have illuminated the adjacent Lower Square since last year, be placed in the center. However, this is not favored by heritage conservationists or the authors of the Upper Square reconstruction, who advocate for the original lamps proposed in the restoration project, instead of which Thorn poles were ultimately purchased.
    "The council decided that we will continue with the ongoing replacement of lighting with the Philips Urbanstar option," said Mayor Martin Major (ODS) to reporters today. According to him, Philips lamps will provide enough light and are about a third cheaper than the originally proposed lamps. Philips lanterns reportedly also have significantly lower electricity consumption and are less maintenance-intensive.
    Major believes that Philips lamps are not distinctive and will not significantly intrude into the historic space of the Upper Square. The council members also argue that while Philips lanterns can be installed in the square by late summer, the original lamps would take longer because the prototype is lost and their production would take some time.
    Architect Jan Šépka, who participated in the Upper Square reconstruction project, will file a lawsuit against the city due to the council's actions. Part of it will include a proposal for a preliminary injunction to prevent the city from installing Philips lamps. Šépka claims that the city hall would otherwise violate copyright laws concerning the square's reconstruction project. "I have an opinion from lawyers specializing in copyright law, which has clearly confirmed that the city hall cannot proceed in this way. There are precedent cases where architects have won against the city even due to the replacement of smaller elements," Šépka told ČTK.
    According to Šépka, the originally proposed lamps are half the price of Philips lanterns, have twice the light output, and their maintenance is not complicated, as they only need to be wiped down once every two years. "The mayor uses unsubstantiated arguments. Most experts still fail to see the reason for advocating the replacement of lights with a type from Philips. One possible explanation that comes to my mind is that Philips will sponsor the mayor's autumn election campaign. I can't think of any other logical reason justifying the installation of Philips lamps," he stated.
    The mayor counters that the city hall will not violate copyright laws. "I believe that as an investor we can replace any element of the original plan," Major said. However, the city hall will have a legal opinion updated, which supports their position.