Administrative building Keystone

In these days, the most significant Karlín and leading Prague developer, Karlin Group, has commenced the construction of the KEYSTONE administrative building, which will be situated at the border of the original Karlín development on the corner of Pobřežní and Šaldova streets. The architecturally unique KEYSTONE building, which is a modern interpretation of Czech Cubism, will offer approximately 6,500 m² of premium office and commercial space. This is the first administrative building construction started in Prague this year, with completion planned for September 2011. The KEYSTONE building will meet all modern office space requirements and will consist of 8 above-ground floors. In addition to offices, it will also offer 850 m² of retail space and 68 parking spaces in 3 underground floors. The estimated total cost of the project will reach nearly 300 million CZK. The construction is being provided by Průmstav a.s. from the Vinci Construction group, which has also become the first and main tenant of this building. “We are very proud that the Keystone building already has its main tenant, the largest French and global construction group Vinci Construction, which will have its headquarters here covering over 4,000 m²,” said Milorad Miškovič, a partner at Karlin Group. “Given the unique location and architecture of the building, we expect great interest in renting the remaining space, and we believe that by the completion date, Keystone will be fully occupied. Thus, it would become one of the most successful projects in this demanding time for developers.” According to estimates, in 2010, only about 50,000 m² of new office space will be started in Prague. By constructing the Keystone building along with the planned commencement of the second phase of the Corso II B project this year, Karlin Group will cover nearly 50% of this volume. Keystone is the result of an effort to maximize the use of building space while considering the limitations in the existing urban zone. The building, designed by Mathias Müller and Daniel Niggli from the Swiss architecture office EM2N, is a modern interpretation of Czech Cubism. “When we arrived in Prague, we discovered Czech Cubism and realized that it is truly amazing and unique. Although this movement originated at the beginning of the last century, it can offer new impulses to contemporary architecture. That is why we decided to explore its aesthetic possibilities,” says one of the authors, Mathias Müller, about the design. “The name Keystone has symbolic significance,” mentioned Hana Samuelová, the marketing manager of Karlin Group, about the project. “It is not only a term for the keystone forming the center of an arch or vault in architecture, but for us, it also expresses the connection between old and new Karlín, linking the city center with Karlín, Libeň, and Palmova. It is another step towards the regeneration and revitalization of the Karlín area, which Karlin Group has long focused on.” Keystone is emerging in a very significant part of Prague’s Karlín, as the planned development of this area approved in the zoning plan includes the construction of a bridge over the Vltava River, which will connect to Šaldova Street and link Karlín with Holešovice. In the future, Keystone will thus dominate one of the most important intersections in Karlín and is the first commercial object that effectively begins the revitalization of Rohanský Island. Karlin Group will shortly follow Keystone with the development of the area between Pobřežní Street and the river, with the planned residential and administrative complex River Gardens, which expects the construction of up to 130,000 m² of above-ground commercial and residential space within the next 5-10 years. “For some, the greatest pleasure in life is chocolate, caviar, or champagne. For us, it is building quality architecture. And the enjoyment is even more pleasant when you can savor it again after a long involuntary fast,” comments the commencement of the Keystone construction, Serge Borenstein, the founder of Karlin Group.