The 17th edition of the Modernization of the Year competition was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the Ministry of National Education, the Government Plenipotentiary for Persons with Disabilities, the Chief Building Control Inspector, the Road and Bridge Research Institute, and the Chief Environmental Protection Inspector. The Association of Polish Counties was the event’s co-organizer.
The aim of the competition is to promote and support efforts to save national heritage buildings and structures, as well as to promote the modernization, reconstruction and expansion of buildings. Powiat Bolesławiecki entered the project “Teatr Stary in Bolesławiec – a hundred-year-old theatre for the next hundred years.”
Restoring the theatre building’s public function through its modernization helped preserve the tangible cultural heritage and enrich the cultural and educational offerings of Powiat Bolesławiecki. Cultural and artistic events, as well as classes in the theatre, vocal and dance studios of the Youth Cultural Centre, are held in the modernized building. In addition, to preserve the original function of Teatr Stary, cultural events from the “The County Invites” series are held in the building.
On Wednesday, August 28, at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the county head Cezary Przybylski received the competition honor from Olgierd Dziekoński, Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland. The jury members emphasized the project’s uniqueness, the ability to reconcile history with modernity without harming the former, and the effectiveness of using the building for current activities. The designer and contractors of this investment, worth over PLN 7 million, were also honored.
Powiat Bolesławiecki also received a special award from the Association of Polish Counties for the exceptional modernization of Teatr Stary, along with a pledge of media promotion for the building—in the interiors of Teatr Stary, impressive panoramic visualizations will be created and published on nationwide industry portals.
“I am pleased that the whole of Poland has heard about our Teatr Stary once again. The prestigious statuette is further confirmation that our investment decisions were right. We saved Teatr Stary by making a tremendous financial effort, because we had to find most of the money for this undertaking in the modest county budget. We succeeded,” says Cezary Przybylski. “I regard the special award from the Association of Polish Counties as inspiration for similar actions, carrying the encouragement that risky decisions are not something to fear. They are what define our strength, character and style. After all, we saved a hundred-year-old theatre for the next hundred years. My heartfelt congratulations to everyone who contributed to this.”
More than 700 modernized buildings from across Poland competed for the honors.
(information: Powiat Bolesławiecki/ii)