The reconstruction of Česke Budějovice's Slavia will be more expensive by about 100 million CZK

České Budějovice - The costs for the reconstruction of the cultural house Slavie in České Budějovice will increase by approximately 100 million crowns. The original project estimated an amount of 563 million crowns including VAT, but current market consultations indicate a range from 650 to 730 million crowns. The extensive reconstruction of the cultural house is intended to start next year, the deputy mayor of České Budějovice, Petr Holický (ANO), said to reporters today.

The increase in costs must be approved by the city council during its meeting in May. "The city will have to expand its loan (due to the project). The city has an annual budget of around 300 million crowns for all investments. So even if we have a promised subsidy for the project, we certainly need to find sources elsewhere," Holický stated. The price increase is related to the rise in costs of materials and labor in construction.

České Budějovice will remodel the Slavie cultural house according to a joint proposal from French architects from the office Chaix & Morel et Associés, the Austrian studio Christian Anton Pichler, and Austrian architect Jan Proksy. The extension will include a main hall, rotated 90 degrees from its current location and larger. There will be a small hall with a café on the ground floor. According to the architects, the original main hall is acoustically unsuitable. The new multifunctional hall will accommodate 550 standing viewers and hold up to 60 performers, including the philharmonic. The building will be extended by 6.5 meters, and new foyer areas and staircases will be created.

Despite the increased costs, the city's leadership does not intend to change the scope of the reconstruction to save money. "There is not much that can be cut from that project," Holický said.

Slavie was originally a German Community House built between 1871 and 1872. It was designed as a cultural, social, and political center for German-speaking people in České Budějovice. During the period before and during World War II, it became a center of German Hitlerite nationalism. After liberation, the building was named Stalin's House and later housed the regional secretariat of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, then it was handed back to the city and subsequently served the army. In 1962, the state returned it to the city, and for a time the site became one of the cultural centers of České Budějovice.