Project description

Introduction
Církev bratrská in the Czech Republic endeavours to be an active Christian church in this modern era. The main task of this church is to bring the good news in the form of preaching and also in the form of concrete help to needy people.
The church (as a whole) composes of 66 individual churches all over the Czech Republic. The church runs the Evangelikální teologický seminář (the Evangelical theological seminary) which prepares Christian leaders for many Protestant churches. The church also runs a book publishing house Oliva, and Diakonie which offers social-medical services for needy people in the church and outside.

The present situation of Církev bratrská in Litomyšl
It will have been 100 years in 2009 since there was established a local church of Církev bratrská in Litomyšl. The church is, at the present time, a part of local ecumenical work and a vehicle of a rich spiritual tradition in the region of Litomyšl (in Litomyšl one of the first congregations of Jednota bratrská – Unitas fratrum – Moravian church was established).
Since the beginning of 1990s a number of the church members has been involved in the work of a charity organization Naděje which functions in four places in the region and takes care of senior citizens, children without home and socially weak families.
The church facility which has been used for nearly 100 years went through several reconstructions and has ceased to suit in capacity as well as in purpose.

The project of a modern facility
The final idea which was a result of thinking of the elders and professionals about the possibility of enlarging the space for meeting and active life of the church and which was finally also supported by the leadership of the town of Litomyšl is to build a new, dignified and most functional facility at a new location. A study by Zdeněk Fránek from Fránek Architects from Brno (www.franekarchitects.cz) corresponded with this purpose best. It was acceptable for the church as well as for the town council which in December 2007 announced the intention to transfer without payment a town area (600m2 in the centre of Litomyšl) to build a new church facility there.
The architect Fránek was lead in his study by a motto – a verse from the Bible (Psalm 57:11): “For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.“
The infinity of God’s mercy and faithfulness is depicted by the shape of the church facility – it seems as if it “reaches to the skies“ and it runs into the distance as a symbolic road.
However, the new facility will not disturb the surroundings with any disproportional grandiosity. It will be built into a grassy landscape which will also decrease the noise from a near busy highway.
The building material will be steel concrete, equipped with an overcoat against vandalism, armoured glass, trellis, stone and wood.
The project includes a hall for 150 people, two multipurpose rooms and a foyer with purposely built rear for the future life of the church and its activities.
On the first floor there will be a flat for the pastor and his family.

Budget
The planned materials will enable easy maintenance and high endurance. The necessary investments into more expensive materials will bring lower expenses for operation and the possibility to use the facility for a longer time period. It is important to say that the currently respected author of the project Zdeněk Šrámek has some experience with simple craft practice which he gained before he studied architecture. He has a sense for artistically dignified as well as naturally efficient form of a facility. This combination is optimal for an appearance of a religious building.

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