Plzeň – Europe Cultural Capital 2015

Text: Edit Pálinkás
Photos: Vojtěch Auibrecht, Libor Sváček

New Theatre, architecture: HELIKA. Photo: Libor Sváček

Infrastructural investments and developments play key roles in the project of European Cultural Capitals. Just like in the case of many ECC cities, this statement holds true for Plzeň where the majority of programmes are based on such developments. Thanks to financial support from both the city and other organisations, the remodelling and modernisation of Plzeň could commence in 2010 with sponsoring from the European Union. By the year 2015 such large-scale projects could be completed as integrating the waterfront and Štruncovy sady green zone into the city’s fabric, as well as that of the new building to house the Ladislav Sutnar Art Faculty which opened new vistas to spread contemporary art, the reconstruction of the amphitheatre and two residential interiors by Adolf Loos, plus the New Theatre, which are new additions to venues of cultural life. Further plans include the conversion of the Světovar factory district into a culture centre, which could make this dynamically developing city quarter even more attractive. Plzeň in its status of a European Cultural Capital show sin an exemplary way that it is well worth to mobilize local resources to achieve their goals, based on excellent architectural and urban development schemes. realize goals: to realize projects in the interest of the local community to which only partial sponsoring was needed from the European Union.