An unused heat exchange station is going to be made available to the citizens of Košice to be transformed as they like. The first public meeting took place on July 24 at 5 p.m.  at the site of so-called “pink heat exchanger” in Obrody Street at the housing estate Terasa. The former heat exchangers are supposed to make a network of cultural sites on the margin, so-called SPOTs. The project is among the major pillars of the application of Košice for nomination as European Capital of Culture (ECOC) 2013.

The objects of the heat exchangers built in the 1960´s and 1970´s used to serve to supply hot service water to the housing estates. Since 1990´s the technology of the stations has been overridden and the buildings of the heat exchangers became fully or partly vacated. They are now not used any longer and are becoming to deteriorate. Their total number is 156 throughout Košice.
The unused heat exchangers redeveloped for cultural sites on the margin - SPOTs are to become venues of artistic and cultural activities, spare-time activities, encounters and communication. “As part of the pilot stage, we intend to transform seven heat exchangers. The plan is to redevelop five objects every year. We find it important to forge cooperation with the present operator of the heat exchange stations, the heat management company of Tepelné hospodárstvo (TEHO). Their job is to guide the process of modernisation so that we could manage to carry out one transformation project, at least, at each housing estate,” said Richard Kitta of the citizen´s association called OZ Pectus, one of the idea promoters.
To get involved in the first project in Terasa the following entities have been approached for co-operation: OZ Pectus, OZ Community Development Centre and Chair of Architecture Faculty of Arts Technical University in Košice. The architectural and project designs are to be worked out by the end of September 2008 when the building operations are expected to launch. Under the pilot stage to last by 2009, the city will carry out a project of three small stage theatres and four studios, or mini galleries. The total investment costs amount to EUR 1.6m. In capacity of investor, the city will contribute 5%, while the remaining part is to be covered from the EU structural funds.
OZ in collaboration with the ECOC 2013 head office will create a cultural programme of the SPOTs. “This is a year-round programme aimed at integration of visual art, music, dance, literature, film and photography into the “grey” every-day life of the communities living in the housing estates on the outskirts. The execution, designing and planning of these activities will involve the population of the local community, the formal and non-formal groups and NGOs operating in the community,” Kitta added some details of the scope of the programme.

OZ Pectus is active in the literary and artistic sectors and carries on publishing. Recently, the association has also been carrying out some cross-sector projects engaging inter-media, contemporary visual art and music. As part of the application of Košice for nomination as ECOC 2013, the members of Pectus made in 2007 a unique internet portal to serve for interactive poetry writing.

OZ Community Development Centre is a non-governmental organisation carrying out their activities and projects in order to afford facilities for the city people, mainly those living in large housing estates or Roma communities or at otherwise disadvantageous locations to take active part in their own social, economic and cultural development.


Information:
OZ Pectus, Starozagorská 7, 040 23 Košice, 0918 814 875, riso.kitta@gmail.com
OZ Community Development Centre, Hlavná 68, 040 01 Košice, 055/ 622 31 30, blanka@ckr.sk