Liberec will have a half-ton model of the city near the town hall, aiming to attract tourists to it

Liberec – Liberec will have a half-ton 3D model of the city on Kostelní Street, near the town hall, to attract tourists. In five months, architect Ivo Louda is expected to create it, said Jan Hruška, the Deputy Mayor of Liberec for urban housing and Local Agenda 21, to the Czech News Agency today. The town hall will pay 781,000 crowns excluding tax for the model made of very durable concrete.

Based on experiences from other cities, Hruška expects that this work could become an attraction. "For example, in Olomouc, the model of the city is a magnet for tourists, and locals enjoy stopping by as well. It should serve the same purpose in front of St. Anthony's Church. It should liven up the place, attract people, and help them better orient themselves in Liberec so that they can immediately see where the main sights are," stated the deputy.

The creation of the model is one of the successful projects from the participatory budget, which is proposed and subsequently selected by the city's residents. This project was successful in the voting three years ago, and according to the city's rules, it should have already been realized, with the deadline expiring at the end of last year. "This was a bit different situation than when we make playgrounds and similar things, which we know how to do. Here we dealt with where to place it so that it wouldn’t interfere with supplies, we also had to discuss it with conservationists, and 3D models are not made by many studies," Hruška mentioned.

According to him, the model is designed to withstand rain, frost, and everyday touches. "The whole concrete model will weigh about half a ton, so we will divide it into about thirty parts. This way, individual sections can be easily repaired or replaced if necessary," the deputy added. Significant buildings such as the town hall, theater, museum, or castle will be made of bronze to stand out at first glance. The model will display a broader historical center of Liberec at a scale of 1:1250.