In Prague, the demolition of the ice rink in Štvanice began today

photo: © Milan Sýkora (www.milansykora.net)

Prague - Demolition of the ice rink at Štvanice began in Prague today. The rink was built in 1932 as the first artificial skating rink in the country and has been a cultural monument since 2000. However, it has been closed since January due to poor technical condition. Tereza Krásenská, spokesperson for the Prague City Hall, said this today to ČTK. Several generations of hockey players and figure skaters grew up at the rink, including the famous figure skater Ája Vrzáňová.
     "Only the wooden part, which was in a state of emergency, is being demolished," Krásenská told ČTK. The rink, which was affected by floods in 2002, gradually deteriorated. Water seeped into the wooden walls and stands, and rot attacked the structure.
     The building authority for Prague 7 issued a decision on Friday ordering the city hall to immediately remove the Štvanice ice rink, Krásenská stated. "Prague has waived the right to appeal due to the acute emergency situation of the facility. According to the assessment, the entire structure is at risk of collapse, and the building poses an immediate threat to the health and lives of individuals," she added. According to her, Prague has 20 days to remove the rink.
     A part of the roof collapsed at the turn of the year. The building authority for Prague 7 subsequently prohibited entry to the rink. A subsequent assessment commissioned by the city hall warned of the imminent collapse threat of certain parts of the building. According to the assessment prepared for the city hall by the Technical and Testing Institute for Construction in Prague in mid-March, the building has exceeded its lifespan. Any potential reconstruction of the rink would be very expensive, as the structures would have to be dismantled, the damaged parts replaced, strengthened, and reassembled. According to Krásenská's previous statement, the poor condition of the rink was due to the lessee, who did not take sufficient care of it.
     In October 1997, the council of the Capital City of Prague (Prague is the owner of the rink) decided to lease the rink to APeX CLUB o.s., which invested approximately 15 million crowns to renovate the sports facility. In January this year, the building authority of Prague 7 ordered the rink to be closed. The decision was justified by the poor condition of the building, where part of the roof had collapsed. In February, the court ruled that the APeX CLUB association must vacate the building because the lease agreement is invalid. The city hall took possession of the keys to the ice rink in early April.
     The authorities deliberated for a long time regarding the decision about Štvanice. Whether the rink would be demolished was to be determined by the building authority for Prague 7, but the verdict on the monument's future was left to the Prague city hall. Councilor Alexandra Udženija (ODS) then told ČTK that the city leadership is not pleased with this and that officials have been instructed to request a clear statement from the building authority.
     In total, Štvanice has hosted four World Championships in hockey, in the years 1933, 1938, 1947, and 1959.