The builders are finishing the repairs on two buildings of the Faculty of Philosophy of Palacký University

Olomouc - The Faculty of Arts of Palacký University in Olomouc is completing an extensive renovation of its two main buildings. Students and teachers will move back into the building at Křížkovského Street 10, home to the faculty's dean's office and five philological departments, at the beginning of next year. Historians, archaeologists, and archivists will return to the building on Na Hradě Street in February next year, said the faculty's vice-dean Vladimír Polách today. Due to the renovation, the departments had to relocate to other places in the city. The repairs of the buildings required hundreds of millions in investment.

The renovation of the Křížkovského 10 building, costing around 200 million crowns excluding VAT, began last spring, forcing the departments to move in April 2015 to Svobody Boulevard and Kateřinská Street. Currently, rough construction work is nearing completion, and furniture should start arriving on site in the next two weeks. Employees are expected to move back in January or February 2018, noted vice-dean Polách.

The complete reconstruction of the building in the historical monument zone included modifications to all types of surfaces, replacements of distribution and engineering networks, as well as changes to the interior layout, with most classrooms moved to the ground floor and the first floor. "For students, the creation of several study rooms will be a significant change; the building has previously lacked essential student facilities. Another change will be that the Faculty of Arts will have its own reception, so there will no longer be access through the rectorate. The building also underwent a radical transformation in terms of technology; finally, we will have air conditioning and ventilation systems in a large part of classrooms and lecture halls," added the vice-dean.

The construction was also delayed by archaeological research, which uncovered several valuable finds. Experts during the rescue research in the courtyard area of the dean's office discovered, for example, a unique engraving of a male figure on a slate plate from the mid-10th century, as well as several dozen medieval graves. They also classified the finding of fabric as unique; based on the weaving technique, it could have been part of a liturgical garment older than the 16th century.

By the end of the year, a comprehensive renovation of the Na Hradě building, costing approximately 90 million crowns excluding VAT, should also be completed. This building housed the history departments, including the archaeological laboratory and storerooms, classical philology, and one of the departments of the Cyril and Methodius Theological Faculty. All have relocated to Svobody Boulevard, with the move back planned for February next year. Here too, after the renovation, the spaces for classrooms and workrooms should be separated; the building now has a new roof, windows, doors, floors, and plaster. A passage from the courtyard to the adjacent Cyril and Methodius Theological Faculty will also be created here.

The two renovated buildings on Křížkovského Street were opened by the Faculty of Arts in May 2015. In the former canonic residences numbered 12 and 14, top-notch educational and scientific workplaces were established for 100 million crowns. The repairs pertained to six departments.