In Ústí nad Orlicí, the construction of the studios of the Secondary School of Applied Arts has started

Ústí nad Orlicí - The construction of studios for the local Secondary School of Art and Design, established by the Pardubice Region, began today on the site of the former Perla 01 textile factory in Ústí nad Orlicí. A modern new building will be created by the end of 2025 for 180 million crowns, which includes costs for equipment and supervision by the author and investor. The region will receive almost 165 million from the National Recovery Plan grant for the revitalization of brownfields, said the spokesman of the regional authority, Dominik Barták.

The new studios will replace the current premises of the school on Špindlerova street. The new building will house classrooms, workshops, studios, and necessary facilities for teaching artistic disciplines such as textile art, applied photography and media, industrial design, modeling and clothing design, graphic design, and packaging technology. It will also include two computer classrooms. The other classrooms of the school will remain in the complex on Zahradní street.

The Pardubice Region initially intended to apply for a grant for construction from the Integrated Regional Operational Program. When it became clear that the National Recovery Plan opened up the possibility of accessing funds more advantageously for the transformation of brownfields, the project was revised to comply with the conditions of the call.

The former Perla 01 textile factory stood on more than three hectares near the center of Ústí. The unused area was purchased by the city for 30 million crowns in 2011. Two years later, the municipal council announced an architectural competition, then issued a regulatory plan, and in 2017 and 2018 demolished production halls and other buildings that occupied more than 80 percent of the area. The city retained only a smaller portion of the land and built a House of Children and Youth there for 85 million crowns excluding VAT. It intends to convert the former boiler room, engine room, and part of the administrative building into a contemporary art gallery referencing the textile history of the city.