From the prison in Trutnov, there could be galleries or a technical house; the city is conducting a survey

Trutnov – According to the town hall, the former prison in Trutnov could become a new Dragon Gallery or a House of Technical Skills and FabLab. The public will be able to express their opinions through voting on one of the two proposals until October 17. The results of the survey will assist the city management in deciding on the use of the prison. Michaela Dědková, a spokeswoman for the town hall, said this today to ČTK. The presentation of proposals and voting can be found on the website.

The historic building of the former prison from the early 19th century was acquired by the city last year from the state. It is located not far from the central Krakonoš Square. Based on a call at the beginning of this year, the city received nine proposals for the use of the prison from various entities. The city hall has now submitted the two best proposals to the public for voting.

"We want the prison building to serve as many people as possible. At the same time, the chosen project should be able to generate funding from various sources after its establishment, ideally making it independent of the city budget," stated Deputy Mayor Tomáš Eichler (Pirates). The town hall believes that the reconstruction of the prison could take place in the next three to five years. The city hopes to obtain funding from the state budget or European funds.

The authors of the Dragon Gallery proposal anticipate that the current Dragon Gallery, which is currently located in the building of the art school in the city center, would be transferred to the prison's attic. The cells would be used for various play elements designed by different artists. A café, a stage in the courtyard, and a water playground are planned. "There would be one large maze in the building. We do not plan any complicated construction modifications," said proposal author Otto Štemberka from the group Trutnov - City of the Dragon.

The House of Technical Skills and FabLab, according to co-author Václav Fišer, would focus on technology ranging from mechanics to electronics and robotics, appealing to both children and adults. It would include a large multipurpose classroom for training teachers and the public. The main part of the project is a workshop with eight to ten stations equipped with technology from vises to 3D printers.

The building was constructed as a municipal prison. In its busiest years, over 1,000 prisoners were housed there each year. During World War II, it served as a Gestapo prison and in the early 1950s as a state prison. After the prison was closed, it housed an archive and most recently served as a civil protection storage facility. Since the beginning of the current century, the building has been empty and unused.

Three years ago, the Office for State Representation in Property Affairs considered auctioning the prison for sale. However, the Trutnov town hall intervened, expressing interest in the property.