The Institute of Art and Design in Pilsen will begin constructing a new building

Plzeň - The Institute of Art and Design of the West Bohemian University in Plzeň may start constructing its new building next year in the university complex in Bory. The original variably divisible hall could be completed as early as 2010. The establishment of the building will likely trigger the transformation of the institute into another faculty of the university, the ninth in order, ČTK learned.
    "In recent days, we have managed to obtain the building permit, and we also have a promise of funding from the ministry. We will start building next year," confirmed the rector of UWB, Josef Průša. The new building will cover an area of 98 by 40 meters, and the costs for its construction will be around 300 million crowns.
    "Our further development now depends solely on this location. In just a few years, we have managed to build an excellent school, which is among the best in the Czech Republic in terms of personnel. However, the weakest point is the location," said the director of the institute, Josef Mištera. Students in artistic fields are currently dispersed across six locations in Plzeň, which, according to Mištera, adversely affects education. "We need to be under one roof. If everything goes well, the building will stand within two years, and by the end of 2010, the institute would move," he added. According to UWB's bursar, Antonín Bulín, the university has received a promise of 50 million crowns from the Ministry of Education for the year 2009.
    The eleven-meter building will begin construction in the northwestern part of the university campus. It will consist of a three-story section with classrooms, offices, and facilities for teachers, and a large adjoining hall that will be divided by freely movable partitions. The project also includes a small theater hall with a retractable wall that allows the space to be transformed into a natural amphitheater. The adjoining garden will provide space for sculptors, for example.
    The new facilities will enable the school to develop more dynamically; the institute with 320 students could increase its capacity in fine arts and design fields. The school offers bachelor's and master's programs, including illustration and graphics, design, metal design, fashion design, intermedia creation, and more. Approximately 500 students apply each year, with around 100 accepted. About 30 international students also study here. The institute cooperates with individual faculties of UWB and other universities in the country.