A part of the Gothic cellars on Národní třída will be accessible

Prague - The investor of the Copa center construction on Národní Street in Prague will preserve and in the future also make accessible a part of the Gothic cellars that are protected as heritage. The fate of the second half of the cellars, which do not have heritage protection, has not yet been decided, said CPI spokesperson Michaela Winklerová in response to an inquiry from ČTK. The developer can either preserve or demolish them. Heritage experts consider the cellars to be valuable. They strive for their preservation.
    Medieval cellars documenting Gothic buildings near Spálená Street were discovered by archaeologists during rescue research in 2009. The Ministry of Culture definitively decided on the heritage protection of part of the cellars only in June. The construction of the multifunctional building above Národní Street, which the company CPI of billionaire Radovan Vítek has started to build along with businessman Sebastian Pawlowski, was long postponed due to the discovery.
    According to experts, the discovery of the cellars is valuable, and the remains of the original houses are also well-preserved. "We would like to reach an agreement with the investor to ensure that the remaining part of the cellars is also preserved," said Ondřej Šefců from the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) in an interview with ČTK. A technical solution exists; the investor would reportedly only lose about five underground parking spaces. The planned parking lot is expected to have a capacity of 250 spaces.
    Winklerová acknowledged that the existing project allows for the preservation of the entire cellar complex. Nevertheless, she stated it is unclear how the investor will deal with the cellars. "We are currently discussing the matter with the relevant authorities... we do not have final results yet, so we cannot comment," she said. "However, it raises the question of why the cellars should remain there when they do not have heritage protection," she added.
    The construction of the office and retail center Copa on Spálená Street in Prague is expected to cost around 3.3 billion crowns. The multifunctional building is to have four underground and seven or eight above-ground floors. Due to the construction, the B line metro station Národní třída will be closed for two years starting Tuesday. The transport company will pay over half a billion crowns for the reconstruction of the metro station.
    Builders must use special techniques while working near the cellars on Spálená Street that do not disrupt the stability of the cellars. Heavy machinery is excluded, and some excavation will be done manually. The exposed cellars are very fragile, explained archaeologist Jaroslav Podliska from NPÚ. However, there are no restrictions in the eastern part of the construction site, which adjoins Vladislavova Street. Diggers have already excavated a deep pit in that area.