Looking for an industrial building with a distinctive architectural character? Introducing the coaling station and water tower in Vratislavice nad Nisou near Liberec. It forms an interesting complex, with a boiler room that includes a chimney 75 meters high, and a steam power plant connected to a tower bridge with two arches. This group of buildings from the early 20th century has been largely preserved, with only minimal modern touches.
The conical tower is 65 meters high, has three floors and a terrace with a panoramic view. It was built in the years 1916-1918 according to a design by the architect Leopold Bauer as part of the production area of the Ignaz Ginskey & Co. carpet factory. It served both to produce electricity and as water reservoir. Much of the electricity was destined for the plant while the surplus was feed into the public grid. | Photo: AvantgArt Z. S.
“The individual floors of the tower are in various states, some rougher than others. The ground floor, where the engine room was located, is the most expansive. It has a surface area of about 40 square meters, while ceiling is an amazing 6 meters high. On the first floor, there were coal basins and in the upper part a reservoir tower. From the terrace, you can see not only the entire Ještěd Ridge, but also in the distance Jablonec nad Nisou and much of Liberec,” explains Pavlína Sacherová of the Liberec Film Office.
Today, the coaling station is used primarily as a storage facility, and so there are currently somewhat limited possibilities for electrical connections. On the other hand, there is ample parking capacity on the premises. “Its interiors and exteriors are living proof of the industrial heritage in our border regions and have an almost untouched patina of centuries of history. This is why we believe that they may be interesting as a location for filming or photographing,” says Jitka Jakubičková of AvantgArt, which now has a coaling tower under lease and is looking to use it further.
By the 1980s, the tower was no longer in use as originally intended, and decades later it fell into disrepair, with neither the owner nor the public interested in maintaining it. Thankfully, it was declared a cultural monument in 2015. At that time, thanks to Jitka Jakubičková, a hopeful new chapter in its history began: “I have always been interested in the industrial building spaces that have lost their purpose and often were abandoned so suddenly that many artifacts reminiscent of their faded glory remain. But I believe that these monuments should not only be reconstructed so that they aren’t devastation. They must live. That’s also what we want for the coaling tower, so we’re glad to welcome filmmakers,” Jakubičková concludes.
For more information about possibilities to film in Liberec and its surroundings, please contact Pavlína Sacherová from the Liberec Film Office: tel: +420 773 781 766 email: sacherova.pavlina@magistrat.liberec.cz
