Planá is reconstructing the mourning hall and converting the cinema into a cultural hall

Planá (Tachov Region) - Planá in the Tachov region is reconstructing a dilapidated and unsightly funeral hall for more than eight million crowns. The town is also preparing to convert a cinema into a multifunctional center for 20 million crowns. The five-thousand-strong town lacks a hall for community gatherings. This was reported by Mayor Martina Němečková to ČTK.

The renovation of the funeral hall, which began in April, was supposed to be completed in October, but according to the mayor, due to the construction contractor, the deadline has been pushed to February or March next year. "The priority for the town is to get it under roof, so this week roofers are supposed to put on the metal covering," she stated.

In the architectural competition for the funeral hall, 27 proposals were submitted. It was originally intended to be a renovation with some walls remaining. However, during the demolition, the hall was almost entirely torn down, making it almost a new building.

In the center, there will be a hall where people can say goodbye to the deceased; in the upper part, there will be an opening to let in light. "People waiting for the ceremony will no longer stand in the rain outside the funeral hall because there will be a covered foyer and additionally a special room for the closest relatives, so they don’t have to stand in a crowd in front of locked doors," the mayor said. According to her, the previous funeral hall was "terrible." Not only from the inside but also from the outside, where it was clad like old panel houses and had holes in the cladding in several places.

Planá also held an architectural competition for the cinema reconstruction. The total cost will be 20 million crowns, which, due to the public procurement law, the town would not be able to invest in a year. "For next year, we have allocated half. It should be completed by autumn 2017," Němečková said. Currently, a project costing 700,000 crowns has been completed.

Planá does not have any space for representation, culture, and community gatherings. "We really miss it," the mayor stated. Residents currently meet provisionally in the auditorium above the school's gymnasium and in a small room above the library, which accommodates up to 30 people. Larger events like balls take place in Chodová Planá. "The cinema will retain a certain type of screening, focusing also on some types of digital films," Němečková noted. The cinema in Planá currently operates once or twice a week, with attendance of up to 15 people.