Pardubice are considering re-establishing the office of the chief architect

Pardubice - After many years in which the Pardubice City Hall did not have a position or department of a chief architect, this situation could change. The city hall is considering establishing such a specialized workplace. This was stated today at a press conference by the city secretary Martin Růžička.
    "We are considering certain structural changes, particularly in the areas of urbanism and architecture. Some things should be finalized after the reorganization of the office," Růžička mentioned. According to Mayor Jaroslav Deml, it is still unclear whether the new organizational unit would be called the department of the chief architect.
    "In any case, it should be something in this spirit, where the self-governing element of architecture, urbanism, and spatial planning will be outside the jurisdiction of the building authority, which makes sense," Deml said. The city leadership is expected to address the change in September and October.
    The department of the chief architect as a separate budget organization existed in Pardubice as early as the early 90s of the last century, and it was abolished in 1992 when most of its employees left. After a longer hiatus, the position of chief architect was held by Pavla Pannová, who finished in 2003. The function of the department of the chief architect was then substituted by the Department of Development and Strategy, but it was unable to provide consistent and long-term influence on urbanism and architecture in the city.
    In 2005, therefore, a group of architects, a loose association of architects and other professionals represented by names such as Lubomír Driml, Milan Košař, or František Příborský, submitted a statement to the city hall pointing out, for example, that the city does not have a department of the chief architect and the commission of the council for urbanism and architecture has only a formal role without the necessary authority and powers.
    The city hall at least established an "architectural triumvirate" in 2006, an advisory body consisting of architects from three generations, Miroslav Řepa, Milan Košař, and Aleš Klose. However, even that ended after about a year. Currently, the building authority does not have any architectural section established.
    "It should have been created long ago or it should never have been abolished. However, it is good that the city hall wants to commit to it. It is important, though, that the department of the chief architect manages to maintain professional independence. As soon as it is placed under a department that is influenced by political pressures, it cannot function properly," said architect Košař to ČTK, who led the city's first architectural body until 1992. The department of the chief architect is also established by the Hradec Králové City Hall, separate from the building authority.