The Large Theatre Will Have a New Facade

07. 07. 2009

For several weeks now, the reconstruction of the facade and terraces of the J.K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen has been underway, with its completion planned for October 2010. The facade will be reconstructed to have the same design as was that of the neo-Renaissance building at the time of its opening in 1902. The investor of the reconstruction, costing in total about CZK 30 million, excluding VAT, is the Statutory City of Pilsen. The reconstruction has been performed by the Surface Construction Branch, Division 7, České Budějovice OHL ŽS, a.s. according to the design drawn up by the Conservation Studio.

Pilsen, 7 July 2009 -  The facade will be reconstructed to have the same design as was that of the neo-Renaissance building at the time of its opening in 1902. As a matter of fact, the last complex renovation of the theatre in the 1980s did not respect the original design of the historic building at all.

The theatre building suffers from the amount of traffic in its neighbourhood. During the reconstruction, the sections of the facade that have been damaged by emissions and acid rain will be repaired and all artistic and craftwork elements completing the facade will be renovated together with its original colours. The improper interventions carried out during the last reconstruction will also be removed. Specialised craftsmen will repair the masonry facing of the plinths, reconstruct damaged windows, including their painting; the eaves will also be repaired.  Concurrently with the renovation, conservators will be performing restoration work. The sculptural decoration will be renovated either on the site or in restoration workshops. The street furniture, i.e. the lanterns and benches by the theatre, will also be reconstructed.

From all directions, the theatre is surrounded with a system of terraces, balancing the sloping terrain in the vicinity of the building. Alongside, the terraces form a natural communication link with the surrounding streets and Smetana Park. Builders will clean and re-joint the paving on the terraces, repair the balustrades and adjacent staircases. The reconstruction will also not ignore the ascendable terraces and flat roofs in the higher floors of the theatre, where workers will remove the original covering, repair the pointing, and fit new insulation. Finally, they will lay new covering. They will also repair and clean riggots, thus preventing water accumulating on roofs. To complete the reconstruction, in October 2010, a newly produced replica of the sign “The Theatre of the Pilsen Royal City” will be placed on the front of the theatre.

The investor of the reconstruction, costing in total about CZK 30 million, excluding VAT, is the Statutory City of Pilsen. The reconstruction has been performed by the Surface Construction Branch, Division 7, České Budějovice OHL ŽS, a.s. according to the design drawn up by the Conservation Studio. “I am very glad it is the skilled stucco workers and plasterers of our division who have returned the original face to this significant historic building,” said Jiří Kápl, Director of Division 7 České Budějovice of OHL ŽS a.s. today.

J.K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen

The building of the Large Theatre, which was constructed in 1902 according to the design of the architect Antonín Balšánek, is a listed property. Renowned artists participated in artistic decorating of the building, for example: Ladislav Šaloun František Hergesell, Stanislav Sucharda Antonín Procházka, Antonín Rous, Vilém Amort, and many others. The author of the project of reconstruction and annex to the Large Theatre, which was performed in 1981-85, was the architect Pavel Němeček.

OHL ŽS, a.s.

OHL ŽS, a.s. (former ŽS Brno, a.s.), which has a more than fifty year tradition, is a dynamic construction company specializing in multiple areas of business and ranking among the largest and most significant construction companies in the Czech Republic. It is a member of the international Spanish construction and investment OHL Group. In 2008, the revenues of OHL ŽS, a.s.  according to international accounting standards increased by CZK 2 billion, amounting to CZK 12.1 billion. The company’s profit before tax grew to CZK 270.9 million, as compared to CZK 262 million..