Liberec Mayor's Office: A Carved Ceiling, Wood Paneling and a Gift from Havel

The mayor's office in Liberec occupies the neo-Renaissance town hall built in 1893, which has been protected as a national cultural monument since 2024. The room has retained its original coffered ceiling and wood paneling, though the carved cabinets are modern replicas — the authentic furniture was ruined by flooding back in the 1990s.

The current mayor, Jaroslav Zámečník (SLK — "Mayors for the Liberec Region"), has been involved on and off in running the fifth-largest city in Czechia since 1994, when he first became a councillor. He will not run for a third term — Lukáš Hájek has taken over as the top candidate on the Mayors' list.

What's been achieved in four years

According to city hall, Liberec invested more than three billion crowns in urban development over the past term, including the long-awaited renovation of the municipal swimming pool. The city has also begun preparations for building a new cable car up Ještěd mountain, whose operation was suspended after a 2021 accident — Liberec has since taken the cable car back from Czech Railways.

Not everything, however, has been resolved. The city still struggles with traffic congestion — the second access road to the Sever district, meant to relieve pressure on the Sněhurka roundabout, was never built. The renovation of the Harcov Dam, popular among locals for recreation and swimming, has also dragged on.

A bright interior with historic character

Architect Anna Beata Hablová, assessing the office as part of a project on the workplaces of mayors in Czech regional capitals, notes that the room feels airy and bright thanks to its high ceilings and large windows. In her view, the wood paneling paired with light-colored walls creates a pleasing contrast, and the overall atmosphere of the office is "dignified, cultured and fitting for a room of representative significance."

The architect also praises the color scheme — warm wood tones are complemented by light curtains and soft green shades on the walls and desktops. In her opinion, the furniture blends well with the room's historic character thanks to recurring motifs in the wooden elements, such as reliefs resembling ancient columns.

Yet the elegant wood-paneled interior does have a notable drawback, Hablová says — it's difficult to fit modern items into it. This is evident in photos of the mayor's desk, where office equipment stands out: "Together with all the wooden reliefs and the display case, the room can start to feel cluttered."

Easels spoil the impression

The office is decorated modestly: a tall clock, historical paintings, and a few exhibits in a display case behind the mayor's desk. Two easels round out the interior, holding memorabilia — a photograph from a visit by former President Václav Havel and a copy of Emperor Rudolf II's founding charter from 1577.

"The office has a historic and representative character, but the easels look like a temporary solution rather than part of the interior," Hablová says. In her view, they draw unnecessary attention and undercut the room's architecture.

Tomáš Tesař, head of the press department at Liberec city hall, admits the solution is not ideal, but says the exhibits cannot be mounted on the walls: the room is decorated with original wood paneling that must not be tampered with, and above it are historical paintings, cabinets and windows. The architect suggests an alternative — a thin, self-supporting panel in a color matching the walls or dark wood, on which the exhibits could be hung instead of using easels.

Despite this flaw, Hablová's overall assessment of the office is positive: it provides a high-quality workspace and a sufficiently spacious area for meetings, while the abundance of natural light creates a pleasant environment. According to Tesař, if the mayor were to be re-elected, he would likely want to preserve the room in its original form — as it was designed when the town hall was built — while gradually adapting the space to modern needs.

Municipal elections in Czechia will take place on October 9 and 10, 2026 — that's when newly elected councillors in statutory cities will decide who takes the mayor's seat.

Read also: 8 best swimming spots near Prague: lakes, quarries and beaches an hour from the capital

Source: seznamzpravy.cz