After extensive renovations, the former granary building has acquired a new roof and will open for the first time this summer season with a new exhibition. Under the guidance of architect and actor David Vávra, the Granary’s owners, Lucie Havlová and Tomáš Hendrych, together with photographer Tomáš Princ and a team of collaborators have created an exhibition titled Lemberk: Step by Step, which explores the historic sites in the Granary’s vicinity, both well-known and obscure.

Fourteen Eyelids and Roof Renovation

Last year, the Lemberk Granary project first came to attention by presenting a pre-season exhibition of sculptures by Čestmír Suška. It was, however, confined only to the outside of the building; the poor condition of the roof meant it was not safe to be inside the building. After the reconstruction work, which took place mainly in the autumn of last year and continues this year, the roof is secured. A company specializing in the repair of historic buildings completely replaced the roof covering, including the ridge tiles, battens and gutters on the south-west side. The roof truss components have also been repaired in the process, by cutting out and replacing parts of the roof ties. The reconstruction also involved the replacement of the skew rafters, damaged tie beams, and the completely missing wall plate. The brickwork of cornices was repaired and completed.

What other renovations have been planned for the near future? Depending on the amount of funding available for the next stage, plans include demolition of the original entrance and installing oak doors, and possibly flooring refurbishment on the ground floor. A probe has uncovered an old wooden floor underneath the existing floorboards. Plans are also in the work for building sanitary facilities, cleaning the well, adding toilets with a shower stall, and installing a sewage pipe with a septic tank, all of which is crucial for making the building habitable again.

Photo: Tomáš Hendrych – An eyelid dormer is a low and wide dormer with a curved roof and no sides, where the roof covering is gradually curved up and over the dormer in a flattened bell curve. Creating a dormer is a difficult enough task for a roofer; but building an eyelid dormer is a challenge that requires a true master of the roofing craft. The roof tiles need to be adjusted and laid in such a way as to prevent water from seeping under the tiles and causing the roof to leak. Similarly, battens need to ensure a smooth transition of the dormer’s arch to the roof surface.