After several successive stages of recent renovations, the original building of Sokol in Olomouc is practically as new. Now the construction of another building is being planned, which should stand next to the existing Sokol building. It should include two gymnasiums, a sauna, a cafe, social facilities or a playground with artificial grass. The martial arts hall could be ready in 2027.
Next to the existing Sokol building, passers-by can currently see the remains of the asphalt where the handball court used to be. It is here that the Hall of Combat Sports will be located with one outdoor field with an artificial surface, which would serve the needs of Sokol members as well as external interested parties from the Olomouc public.
Two large gymnasiums are designed as part of the new hall (training Arena Sokolů and Tyršova hall with competition parameters for various combat sports). There is also a small gym, a cafe with a view of the Olomouc walls and two smaller saunas. At the moment, jiu-jitsu, muay thai, grappling, MMA, Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, trampolines, gymnastics or external interested parties can train in the falconry, and Olomouc schools are also taught here. “We want to enable those interested in combat sports to play sports in a high-quality new sports area. There is also a smaller space for an exercise area, a smaller gym, where you could practice Pilates and the like,” Olomoucky Sokol mayor Oldřich Jaroš tells Olomoucky Report.
The main Sokol building has been standing here since 1928 and is currently practically on the brink of occupancy. Pupils from several Olomouc schools come here in the morning. From the afternoon until nine o’clock in the evening, the gymnasiums are filled by Sokol athletes or external interested parties. “We are thus unable to accept further leases. For that reason, we started considering the construction of a new building. We thought about how to help the Olomouc public as well, and this way, if it works out, everything would be in one place, which is important for public sports in Olomouc.” continued the chairman of Sokol, whose protégé is, for example, the well-known MMA wrestler Karlos Vémola.
The project for the construction of a multi-storey building is currently completed, which must now go through the approval process for a building permit. “If we calculate that a building permit will be issued sometime in June of this year, then it is possible to apply for grants in 2025. Therefore, if there is a sufficient amount of funding, construction could perhaps start in 2026 and be finished in 2027,” Mayor Jaroš added optimistically.
According to the mayor, it will be a purpose-built sports building. According to estimates, its total price should be around 70 million crowns. After the approval of the aforementioned grant, Sokol could also act and request a financial contribution from the authorities of the city of Olomouc and the Olomouc region.
