Werich's villa in Prague 1 will open to the public next year

Prague - The so-called Werich Villa in Kampa, Prague 1, will open to the public next year. First, it is necessary to complete its renovation, which began after the flood six years ago. Construction work should start as soon as possible, said the mayor of the first district, Petr Hejma (ODS), to journalists today. The villa will be leased by the Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation, which will establish a cultural venue dedicated to the legacy of Jiří Voskovec, Jan Werich, and the poet Vladimír Holan.
    The preliminary lease agreement with the foundation was approved by the councillors after several months of discussions on Tuesday. According to the mayor, it should be finalized by mid-May. "We will begin the reconstruction without delay. I am very interested in it being done as soon as possible," Hejma stated.
    The completion of the repairs, estimated to cost 20 million crowns, will be ensured by the city hall. According to Hejma, they will closely cooperate with the foundation.
    Councillors first discussed the agreement in January but did not approve it at that time. On Tuesday, they decided otherwise. The foundation is to receive the villa for 40 years and pay a one-time rent of 23.8 million crowns and then pay one crown daily. Initially, they should pay 2.5 million crowns and the rest will be settled after the reconstruction.
    According to the plan, projections, theater performances, and various discussions should be held on the ground floor of the villa. There will be two apartments on the upper floors, as previously decided by the city hall, as well as an archive and a research room. Mládková wants to live in one of the apartments.
    The so-called Werich Villa was damaged in the 2002 flood. The city hall has already invested 18.5 million crowns in repairs. The building has previously tried to be leased in three competitions, but it has only succeeded now.