Duchcov is considering what to do with the former train station

Duchcov (Teplice) - The town hall in Duchcov is considering what to do with the former train station building, where the roof recently collapsed. The city will commission a detailed assessment of the condition of the building, said Duchcov mayor Jitka Bártová to ČTK. The building is a listed monument, and the city purchased it for 340,000 CZK about a year ago.
    The roof of the building collapsed at the beginning of November. The town hall recently met with heritage conservators regarding the fate of the former station. "We have arranged for a structural engineer to carry out a comprehensive detailed assessment. We will secure the windows and look for possible financial sources," Bártová stated.
    She added that the city has an interest in preserving the very dilapidated building. There is currently no project addressing its repair and future use. "I expect that we will lean towards something that will not have high operating costs. I think that the original plan to build a museum here would be so financially demanding that we will probably postpone that idea for now," she said.
    A more feasible option, according to her, could be roofing the building, building a balcony, and modifying several rooms. Concerts and other cultural events could then be held here. However, the final decision will rest with the city council.
    "The condition of the building is undoubtedly critical; all roof structures have collapsed, the tops of the walls have long been exposed, and water is leaking into the building. The interior structures of the building are partially collapsed, and the interior is filled with construction debris," described Jiří Bureš, a worker from the Duchcov museum.
    He noted that the train station was built from 1873 to 1874 and was part of the former Ústí-Teplice Railway. The design was created by the Saxon architect Hermann Rudolph, who designed several railway buildings for the Ústí-Teplice Railway in the early 1870s. The construction was expanded at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
    According to Bureš, the historical architectural expression of the building does not significantly deviate from the contemporary production of similar structures. The railway complex forms the entire eastern front of the Legií Square. "The station became a symbolic gateway to the then newly built residential area, today known as the 'Southern City,' which is primarily recognized as a residence for socially disadvantaged residents," he stated.
    The mayor mentioned that from her perspective, the building represents a certain symbol of the town. "It has experienced a period of glory and prosperity in Duchcov, just as it has gone through a period of devastation and decades of decay along with the whole of Duchcov," she added.