Students of architecture have designed the future appearance of the barracks in the fortress of Josefov.

Hradec Králové – Proposals for the reconstruction and possible future appearance of the late Baroque building known as the Square Barracks in the fortified town of Josefov in the Náchod region are on display in the entrance hall of the Hradec Králové Region Office. These are ideas from architecture students of the Technical University of Liberec and the Czech Technical University in Prague. CTK was informed about this today by representatives of the regional government. The estimated costs for the renovation of the barracks exceed one billion crowns. Jaroměř, under which Josefov falls, has been negotiating with the regional government and the state in recent years about financing possibilities for repairs, for example from the National Recovery Plan.

"The main theme of the presentations was the modifications and uses of the Square Barracks. However, some students also focused on other possibilities for the future appearance of the entire military fortress in Josefov," said the regional spokesman Dan Lechmann. The exhibition will run until May 10.

Students proposed, for example, the use of the building for civic amenities and the construction of new apartments in suitable locations. According to other projects, the building could be adjusted during renovation into a rehabilitation center, a research center for global changes, a private boarding school, or for cultural activities.

"Some students proposed multipurpose use including commercial. The courtyard should serve as a park or generally as a meeting place according to many of them. One of the proposals linking commercial use with revitalizing the entire space is a retail outlet where the parking could be both underground and above ground," described Lechmann. Other proposals included the restoration of fortress gates, revitalization of Bastion X, or various modifications to the fortress's exteriors.

The intention of the Hradec Králové Region is to use the spaces of the Square Barracks in the future as museum storage for the entire region. "However, we are also open to other ideas that could bring life and use back to the entire area of the former military fortress. I appreciate that young architects in their visions strive for both the revitalization of the barracks and the entire Josefov," said the deputy governor for social affairs, culture, and tourism, Martina Berdychová (Eastern Bohemians).

The Square Barracks are the largest part of the Josefov fortress. The former artillery and previously cavalry barracks have been unused and deteriorating since the army left the fortification in the mid-1990s.

Last autumn, the government approved a plan from the Ministry for Regional Development (MMR) for the rescue and revitalization of the buildings in the fortified towns of Josefov and Terezín. A government commission involving ministers of regional development, finance, and culture, as well as representatives from both towns and regions, should focus primarily on investments. MMR estimates these costs at a minimum of 4.7 billion crowns, which should come from various sources including European funds. MMR stated that the problem of deteriorating buildings in fortified towns cannot be resolved at the municipal level, as they lack the necessary resources, and money has not yet been found at the regional level either. The renovation of the Square Barracks is expected to cost 1.2 billion crowns.