SNP Elementary School

Until the 1950s, children from Slezské Předměstí (Silesian Suburbs) attended schools in nearby villages (such as Pouchov, Slatina), as well as in the city of Hradec Králové. Despite local efforts to establish a school earlier, a local school wasn’t built until the construction of the housing estate along Pospíšilova třída Street began in 1957. This expansion led to a rapid increase in the suburb’s population. As the first of three planned schools, an elementary school was built on SNP třída Street, after which it was named. 

The main architect, Karel Runštuk, designed the school in the spirit of late modernism, featuring a highly glazed and fragile façade. The complex consisted of multiple pavilions of varying heights—simple rectangular structures with flat roofs—connected by corridors. This design aimed to distinguish and separate different educational functions, including theoretical disciplines, workshops, after-school care, and physical education. The buildings were constructed using a standardized system known as Gottwaldov, which combined brickwork with panel ceilings, the same method used for the first panel houses in Czechoslovakia. The classroom pavilions were identical three-story buildings, while the pavilion housing the dining hall and recreation hall was one story lower, and the workshop pavilion was a single-story structure. The initial budget for the project was CZK 7.8 million, but frequent changes in materials and construction techniques (such as adjustments to ceilings and floors in classroom pavilions) led to multiple budget increases.

The construction was divided into several stages, and even before it began, it was clear that the number of pupils would be overwhelming, requiring classes to be taught in shifts. Until 1967, this was the only school serving the suburbs. According to the project documentation, the first stage of construction began in October 1961 and included an entrance hall, the classroom pavilion I (now used for upper-grade classes), the polytechnic education pavilion (originally designed for workshops, now housing the library, classrooms, and kitchens) and a gymnasium. This stage was scheduled for completion in November 1962. However, by August 1963, finishing and cleaning work was still underway, and the construction of the gymnasium was ultimately postponed to the second stage.

On September 1, 1963, the first school year was inaugurated. At that time the school had 714 pupils enrolled in 19 classes, a number that increased as additional pavilions were completed. The first school year took place under constrained conditions—locker rooms were located in the basement, and there was no cafeteria, requiring meals to be brought in from elsewhere and heated in workshops that had a water supply, but not potable water. The second stage of construction was completed a year later (in 1964). The newly added pavilions housed additional classrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a school common room, and a gymnasium with an integrated dental center. 

During the third and final stage of construction, the school’s surroundings were also improved. In front of the main entrance, a fountain designed by Karel Hyliš, created in 1965, was installed. New connecting and access roads were built, and greenery was planted. In 1966, the space between the dining hall and gymnasium was adapted for younger pupils, and the sports field behind the school was completed.

Over the years, the pavilions, their facilities, and the outdoor spaces have undergone modernization. In 1996, an extension was built for the existing locker rooms, resulting in the removal of the fountain. During the construction of the locker rooms, the plaster statue Mother and Child by Karel Švarc, which had been located in the entrance lobby, was also removed. Both artworks were likely destroyed. 

KJ