The construction of the kindergarten by the dam in Jablonec nad Nisou is one of the largest projects in the city

Jablonec nad Nisou - Near the dam in Jablonec nad Nisou, the construction of a kindergarten for 150 children has begun, which will welcome its first preschoolers next September. The project, costing 213 million crowns, is one of the largest undertakings of the city, with a significant portion of the expenses covered by European funds, having successfully secured 142 million crowns in grants, said Mayor Miloš Vele (ODS) at today's construction launch. The new kindergarten will be built on the site of the original kindergarten, which was in unsatisfactory condition.

The construction of a new kindergarten is, according to Deputy Mayor Jana Hamplová (Starostové pro Liberecký kraj), a response to the long-standing shortage of places in preschool education in Jablonec, but also to the unsatisfactory state of the original complex built in the past during the so-called "action Z." "The new kindergarten will have six classes for 152 children, but we will have five classes at full capacity and one class will be special, with only 12 children," Hamplová added. The special class will be intended for children with disabilities and specific needs.

The design of the new kindergarten emerged from an architectural competition held in the summer of 2023. From 28 proposals, the jury selected the one by the group of architects Martin Vančura, Anna Koukolová, and Atelier Za Mák as the best. "The competition brought us a quality and well-thought-out solution that respects the location by the dam and the needs of children and educators," said Deputy Mayor Jakub Chuchlík (Pirates). According to him, the new complex is compact, rationally organized, and although it is a large building, it fits well into the villa neighborhood near the Jablonec dam.

The kindergarten building is partially two-storied with an interior atrium, the construction is energy-efficient, heated by heat pumps, and has photovoltaics on the roof. In addition to classrooms and facilities, it will have a modern kitchen, a multipurpose hall, and an art studio, which can be viewed from Rybářská Street. All classrooms will overlook the garden. "We designed the garden with colleagues who are landscape architects, we approached it as very wild, not too manicured, with shrubs that bear fruit which children can taste," noted project co-author Vančura.

Jablonec operates 19 kindergartens, which are currently attended by 1,459 children. In the second largest city of the Liberec region, the construction of the kindergarten by the dam is not the only such project; last September, a new forest kindergarten Venku was opened in Jablonec. The simple wooden structure for 18 children cost the city just under six million crowns, and it was built in half a year by the company Domesi.