In the renovation of the Crystal Cultural Center, Česká Lípa wants to continue in the coming years

Česká Lípa - Česká Lípa wants to continue the reconstruction of the Crystal Cultural House in the coming years. The city council spokesperson Kristýna Kňákal Brožová informed CTK about this today. The first phase of the reconstruction of the 35-year-old building began last July and is expected to be completed this spring. Although the city has allocated only five million crowns in this year’s budget for the cultural venue, according to the budget outlook, it plans to invest around 70 million crowns in the next three years.

The city hall waited for the completion of the Jirásek Theatre before starting the reconstruction of the cultural house. "The theatre has been operational for two years, and I am happy that we have also started the reconstruction of the second cultural venue in Česká Lípa. After the reconstruction of the entrance, we want to proceed with the renovation of the entire foyer of the Crystal cultural house. We would like to start as soon as possible, but we have to coordinate everything with the cultural organization Kultura Česká Lípa and the events taking place here, as we want to disrupt the operation of the cultural house as little as possible," added Mayor Jitka Volfová (ANO).

The multifunctional Crystal building was designed by architect Jiří Suchomel and his team, complementing and enclosing the garden of the Česká Lípa museum. It is partially embedded into the terrain, and the sloping southern façade functions as a solar air collector. The partial embedding into the ground, good thermal insulation, and the possibility of heat accumulation in the building's foundation create an overall concept of energy efficiency. Work on the project began in 1975, but the cultural house has been open to the public only since December 1990. In addition to two halls and a foyer, the building includes a cinema, a restaurant, a ballet hall, and a gallery.

After years of operation, however, the building needs modernization, which the city plans to undertake in phases. Last year, the city invested nearly 20 million crowns into the building, which now has a renovated entrance and social facilities, and the main community hall received a new audio system. There is a need to complete the box office area between the two entrances. "In spring, as soon as the harsh winter allows, repairs to the stairs leading to the monastery gardens will be completed, along with flower boxes and railings on the terraces, and a new sign will be added to the building. What citizens currently see from the outside is not yet the final state," added city councilor Nela Cyrmon Theerová (ANO).