Olomouc plans reconstruction of the town hall for tens of millions

Olomouc - The Olomouc town hall is set to undergo extensive renovation in the coming years, which includes the repair of the roof, the entrance to the tower, and the establishment of a new information center. The renovation will require an investment of several tens of millions of crowns, most of which will be covered by grants from the integrated regional operational program and the state budget, stated today the spokesperson of the city council, Jana Doleželová.

"The project would significantly improve both the technical condition of the exceptionally valuable historic building of the town hall and its use for the citizens of the city and tourists," Doleželová stated. The council members agreed on Tuesday that the city will apply for a grant for this project in the call that will be announced under the Integrated Operational Program of the Olomouc Agglomeration.

"The European Projects Department will fully prepare the application and submit it at the beginning of next year. For example, the renovation of the town hall roof could start this year," said the mayor's deputy, Ladislav Šnevajs (KDU-ČSL). According to him, the rules for utilizing grants from the integrated operational program allow this.

The most expensive part will be the repair of the town hall's roof, which has been in a state of emergency for a longer period. The project estimates that it will cost around 38 million crowns. A building permit for the roof repair has already been issued, and it should be carried out this year and next year.

Several million crowns will also be needed for the repair of the premises in the arcade of the town hall, where the information center operates, as well as for the lobby and stairs to the town hall tower. A new exhibition focused on the history of the city is to be established in the room under the stairs.

The city will also prepare project documentation for the repair of the sandstone cladding of the town hall, outdoor staircase, statue of Hygieia, and the facade. The replacement of the poles in front of the town hall entrance, new metal grills, gates, and doors is also planned.

Historians consider the Olomouc town hall to be the second most significant in the Czech lands, right after the Prague Old Town Hall. Its cornerstone was laid in the Upper Square as early as 1378. At that time, the city also had judicial authority, and the town hall served as a prison, torture chamber, armory, and also remained a marketplace.

The interior modifications of the town hall building came from the workshop of the head of the then-city building office, Max Kresse, while the exterior modifications were done by Viennese architect Georg Berger. The facade was later supplemented with neo-Gothic details and new painting decorations depicting scenes from the history of Olomouc were also applied. The dominant feature of the town hall is the tower, which stands 75 meters tall. The building includes an astronomical clock.