Hučák Hydroelectric Power Plant Hradec Králové
Next to the power plant in Hradec Králové, a hydroelectric power plant was established in 1912. At present, there is an information center with interactive exhibits, which try to introduce visitors to the possibilities of using water, sun, wind or biomass as energy sources. It is also possible to look into the power plant operation or see exhibits from the collections of the National Technical Museum.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Hučák Hydroelectric Power Plant Hradec Králové
The Hučák Hydroelectric Power Plant in Hradec Králové is located in an Art Nouveau building, designed by František Sander. It earned its name Hučák thanks to its location near the "Hučavý" weir. The unique Art Nouveau building from 1909 to 1911 is still a functional technical monument.
History of the power plant
The history of the Hučák hydroelectric power plant in Hradec Králové is connected with the moment when the town councilors decided to protect the inhabitants and the town from the frequent floods of the Elbe and Orlice rivers. However, the power of the weir could not be used immediately, so it was necessary to proceed to the regulatory program, thanks to which the fixed weirs were replaced by movable ones (tilting). With the help of deepening, widening and narrowing, the heights of the levels of both rivers also changed and weirs were also relocated: at the Elbe by 150 m and at the Orlický by 250 m downstream. Regulatory work began in 1907.
The construction of the power plant began on May 12, 1908, the designer of the construction of the waterworks became prof. Ing. Karel Novák. In the spring of 1909, the foundations began to be concreted, in the same year the assembly of machine technology took place and the construction of the transformer station began.
On February 12, 1910, the power plant was connected to the transformer stations, and on the same evening, Křižík's arc lamps on the Great Square were lit in the test room. At the beginning of 1910, a new waterworks was put into operation.
At present, the power plant is privately owned by ČEZ Obnovitelné zdroje.
Hydroelectric power plant building
Today, Hučák is definitely called the "unique Art Nouveau on the Elbe" by right. The building is architecturally perfectly managed and grew up on the 157th river kilometer in the period when important architects, such as Jan Kotěra, took part in the character and appearance of Hradec Králové.
The author of the proposal is prof. architect František Sander and his Art Nouveau spirit was later supplemented by a modern style of operating buildings. The concrete bridge with a segmental weir is the work of František Jirásek and prof. arch. Sandera. The Hučák power plant is still a great example of how to manage a technical work in the period before the First World War.
Author: Andrea Štyndlová