The theater in Plzeň will receive the facade it had in 1902

Plzeň - The neoclassical building of the J. K. Tyl Theatre in Plzeň will receive the same façade it had when it opened in 1902. Extensive repairs to the building's outer shell and adjacent terraces are expected to cost about 30 million crowns and should be completed by next fall. The historic building suffers not only due to the dense traffic on Klatovská Street, but its original appearance was also disregarded during the last renovations in the 1980s. The reconstruction was announced by the city hall spokesperson Edita Vighová.
    "Parts of the façade damaged by exhaust fumes and acid rain will be repaired, along with all artistic and craft elements that complement the façade," she stated. The façade will regain its original lighter colors. Inappropriate alterations made during the last renovation should also be removed. Craftsmen will repair the stone cladding of the socles, reconstruct windows, and eaves. Simultaneously, restorers will work on the sculptural decorations.
    "The theatre is surrounded on all sides by a system of terraces that levels the sloping terrain around the building. The builders will clean and re-point the paving on the terraces, repair the balustrades and adjacent stairs," Vighová added. In the upper floors of the theatre, workers will remove the original covering, repair the slope, lay new insulation, and finally install a new top covering. At the end of the reconstruction, in October 2010, a newly manufactured replica of the inscription 'Theatre of the Royal City of Plzeň' will be placed on the main façade.
    The investor for the reconstruction is the city of Plzeň. The building of the Great Theatre was constructed in 1902 according to the design of architect Antonín Balšánek and is a listed cultural monument. Its artistic decoration was contributed to by figures such as Ladislav Šaloun, František Hergesell, Stanislav Sucharda, Antonín Procházka, Antonín Rous, Vilém Amort, and others. The project for the reconstruction and extension of the Great Theatre from 1981 to 1985 was designed by architect Pavel Němeček.