Rokycany will this year commence a complete renovation of the gymnasium for 354 million CZK

Rokycany - This year, Rokycany will begin a complete renovation of the sokolovna building, where a new culture center will be built for 354 million crowns including VAT. The project documentation is currently being prepared for joint land-use and building permits. This was stated by the mayor of the fourteen-thousand-strong town, Tomáš Rada (Rokycanští patrioti). The building has been closed for six years due to wood rot affecting the ceiling and trusses.

"The new modifications include underground parking, outdoor parking, and an outdoor piazzetta (small square)," said city hall spokesperson Adriana Jarošová. The sokolovna, which was completed in 1905, has been supplemented over the years with an extension of a small gym in the 1920s and an extension of a cultural house with a large restaurant in the 1980s. "Both extensions will be completely removed. The original historic sokolovna building is in poor structural condition, but due to its historical and urban significance, it will be preserved and restored to its appearance from the 1950s," the spokesperson stated. The house will receive a new roof covering and framework, and the ceilings will be rebuilt. Builders will make structural adjustments, and new installations for water, gas, heating, sewage, and electricity will be installed.

According to Rada, the extensions will be replaced with a new modern section featuring a small multifunctional hall, a new lobby, a dance hall, and facilities for performers. An underground parking lot will be built underneath. "The new extension will be connected to a publicly accessible space - piazzetta - and a public parking lot. The piazzetta is designed to slope towards the parking lot and provides a natural elevation suitable for outdoor cultural events and barrier-free access to both halls of the cultural center," Jarošová said. Trees will line the piazzetta, as well as the parking area. The start of the renovations is scheduled for this year according to the approved budget, the mayor added.

The Neo-Renaissance sokolovna is not a protected monument. It stands on the main ring road of the town heading towards Prague. It was closed in the fall of 2016, and the city took over the building from TJ Sokol a year later. Demolition was also considered, but the majority of architectural competition proposals rejected that. Rokycany currently has no hall for hosting events. The new cultural center will serve for balls, concerts, theater productions, educational programs, community activities, and discussions. "It will be interesting and affordable for people from Plzeň to hold graduation and other balls and cultural events," said Gabriela Šímová from the city development department.