Hradec wants to turn the Pajkrov fortress into a student center

Hradec Králové – The city of Hradec Králové wants to convert the fortification structure Pajkrova flošna from the second half of the 18th century into a student center. The costs for the reconstruction of the heritage-protected building are estimated by the city hall at 71 million crowns excluding VAT. The city is currently acquiring project documentation for the reconstruction, for which it received a grant of three million crowns from the Hradec Králové Region. The actual construction could start in 2023. Mayor Alexandr Hrabálek (ODS) told journalists today.

Pajkrova flošna was one of the structures of the Hradec fortress, originally surrounded by a moat. Inside the nearly six-meter-high building with a square floor plan covering over 600 m², there are five rooms with barrel vaults. The ceiling of the building is over two meters high and overgrown with greenery and trees. There are embrasures in the outer walls. The building belongs to the city and is currently used as a storage space by the Hradec Faculty of Pharmacy of Charles University.

According to Hrabálek, the building, which is located between the botanical garden of the pharmacy faculty and the firefighters’ stadium in the southern part of the wider city center, should become a regional networking student center. "It would serve as a place for organizing seminars, lectures, and courses not only for students but also for the academic and medical community," said Hrabálek. The flošna is also intended to become a social center. "There is a lack of such a specific place for meetings of university students, of which there are over 13,000 in Hradec," said the mayor.

The upcoming project documentation will build on a study that the pharmacy faculty commissioned in 2012 for the use of the fortress. It is also expected to be the future operator of the building. "The project partners are currently the Hradec Králové Region and Charles University, with whom we will now jointly specify the specific requirements for the project," the mayor stated.

The investor for the reconstruction is expected to be the city. They hope to obtain a European grant from the ITI program of the Hradec-Pardubice agglomeration for the construction. The city hall is also considering a loan for financing the construction.