In Česká Lípa, they are preparing to renovate the entrance of the Crystal Cultural House again, and it will be more expensive

Česká Lípa - In Česká Lípa, preparations are once again underway for the reconstruction of the entrance to the Crystal Cultural House. It was supposed to be completed in 2021, but due to project delays, the city had to postpone it. However, costs have increased; three years ago, the city estimated the price to be around 12 million crowns, while the current estimate is 30 million crowns, said Mayor Jitka Volfová (ANO) in response to a query from ČTK today. It has not yet been decided whether the repair will take place this year or next year. According to the mayor, it is necessary to complete the repair during the summer before the autumn season begins due to scheduled events.

"We waited a year and a half for the project, and consequently, we ended up in a situation where Jiráskové Theater was already under renovation, and we couldn't have another impenetrable cultural venue, which is the Crystal Cultural House. Therefore, we had to postpone the entire reconstruction," Volfová said regarding the more than two-year delay. Jiráskové Theater is now completed, and the renovation cost 200 million crowns. The building has been serving the audience since last September, so nothing stands in the way of repairing the entrance to the cultural house.

The multifunctional Crystal building complements and closes the garden of the Česká Lípa museum. It is embedded into the terrain, and the slanted southern facade acts as an air collector for solar energy. The partial embedding into the ground, good thermal insulation, and the possibility of heat accumulation in the foundation of the building create an overall concept of energy efficiency. The project began in 1975, and the cultural house was opened only in December 1990. In addition to two main halls and a foyer, the building houses a cinema, a restaurant, a ballet hall, and a gallery.

"Besides the fact that the entire entrance area is in poor technical condition, it doesn't leave a good impression on visitors either. But hopefully that will change soon," Volfová added. The project was prepared by Jiří Janďourek along with Suchomel. Crystal will have new entrance doors, and the reconstruction will include the vestibule, the ticket office, and restroom facilities, including utilities on the ground floor of the cultural house, as well as the area in front of the entrance. "We also want to prepare utilities for the first floor," Volfová added.