The rescued statue Signpost will be installed in Ostrava on Friday

Ostrava - The rescued sculpture Direction Sign, which stood for decades in front of the railway station in Havířov in the Karviná region, will now be in Ostrava before the new administrative building of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ). The sculpture by Václav Uruba from 1969 faced demolition due to poor technical condition, but it was ultimately purchased from the city for a symbolic price by the Důl architektury association. For the same amount, it was sold to NPÚ, which repaired the Direction Sign at its own expense. The renovation cost 130,000 crowns, said Petra Batková from NPÚ today.
    The repairs of the sculpture were taken on by restorer Tomáš Skalík, and it will be installed in front of the new administrative building on Friday. Interested parties will also be able to obtain a postcard issued in memory of the rescue and the ceremonial installation of the Direction Sign.
    "The Direction Sign sculpture, newly installed on Odboje Street, is meant to cultivate the public space in front of the façade of the monumentally protected functionalist building. At the same time, it aims to draw attention to the issue of the protection of monuments and artworks from the second half of the 20th century," explained Batková.
    The sculpture made of monolithic concrete stood in front of the Havířov train station until March 2014, which is 45 years. "The Direction Sign sculpture expresses the crossing of paths at the railway station in Havířov, with routes to Orlová, Ostrava, and Český Těšín, and therefore the sculpture belongs in front of the passenger building. However, we are very pleased that it has been preserved, and we hope that someday in the future the sculpture can be returned to its original place," stated architect and vice-chairman of the Důl architektury association Adam Guzdek.