The reconstruction of the KD Crystal entrance will cost Česká Lípa 17 million CZK and will not disrupt operations

Česká Lípa - The reconstruction of the entrance to the Crystal Cultural House will cost nearly 17 million crowns for Česká Lípa, and it should not limit the operation of the cultural center. Work in the building, which is 35 years old, will not end there; repairs will continue in the coming years and are divided into stages. Jitka Volfová (ANO), the mayor, said this today to ČTK. According to her, the city hall wants to look for a company for further repairs in a competition this autumn so that the work can continue next year.

"We have divided the reconstruction of the Crystal into several stages precisely to avoid hindering the operation of the cultural house. Generally, the season ends in late May and starts in September. In the first stage, we will be reconstructing the restrooms, the entrance doors and vestibule, the box office, as well as the ante-space including the stairs that lead to the terrace of the cultural house," Volfová added. The reconstruction project was prepared by the Liberec studio ATAKARCHITEKTI, and the first stage is divided into two phases, with each phase having ten weeks assigned to the contractor.

The multifunctional building of the Crystal was designed by architect Jiří Suchomel with a team. It complements and encloses the garden of the Czech Lípa museum. It is partially embedded in the terrain, and the sloped southern facade acts as a solar energy air collector. Partial embedding in the ground, good thermal insulation design, and the ability to accumulate heat in the substrate of the building create an overall concept of energy efficiency. The project began in 1975, and the cultural house was opened in December 1990. In addition to two main halls and a foyer, the building houses a cinema, a restaurant, a ballet hall, and a gallery.

After years of operation, the building is in need of modernization. According to the original plans, the reconstruction of the entrance was supposed to be completed four years ago, but the city had to delay it due to delays in project preparation. "We did not want to work on the Crystal while the Jirásek Theater was being reconstructed, which is why we waited for its completion," said deputy mayor Martin Brož (ANO). The theater has been completed for over a year, so it was finally time for the KD Crystal. However, the costs of repairs have increased during this time due to rising prices for construction materials and labor by approximately 30 percent from the originally estimated 13 million.

In the following stages, according to Volfová, the reconstruction of the entire foyer is planned. "The dressing rooms should be reconstructed, air conditioning should be done in the hall, and the entire electrical installation should be extended to the higher floors, and access should also be prepared for including an elevator so that the Crystal is barrier-free," the mayor added. According to her, air conditioning will already be done in this stage. "But only in that part where we will be repairing the restrooms; the hall will be reconstructed in the next stage," Volfová added.