Central Group presented a new design for skyscrapers in Pankrác

Prague - The development company Central Group today presented a new design for high-rise residential buildings in Pankrác next to the Czech Television headquarters. The project's author is architect Josef Pleskot. The design from his studio won an architectural competition in which the developer Central Group approached ten Czech architectural studios. The Park Kavčí Hory residence is set to include 379 apartments, with shops, restaurants, and an orchard as part of the project. However, a change in land use decision is required for the construction to take place. The construction project at Kavčí Hory has raised emotions, and for a long time has been opposed by the civic association Civic Initiative Pankrác.

Central Group stated that although it has a building permit for the construction on the site, it relates to the original project prepared by the then-owner of the land, the company Hochtief. The developer purchased the three-hectare plot from Hochtief in 2012. However, they were not fully satisfied with the original design, and in 2014, they announced a new architectural competition. Investment costs for the first phase of construction, according to the chairman of the board of Central Group, Dušan Kunovský, will amount to 2.5 billion crowns.

Central Group currently retains the existing building permit. They argue that it allows them to immediately commence construction of the original project in the event that the approval process for the new project drags on excessively or is halted altogether. "I do not allow myself to think that common sense would not prevail for the new project," Kunovský noted today.

The developer further stated that the total area of publicly accessible spaces and green areas in the complex will reach 19,000 square meters (m²). "Of that, 3,000 m² will be created directly in connection with the Central Park in Pankrác adjacent to the building, and this newly modified green area is ready to be transferred to public administration," the developer added.

Pleskot stated at today's press conference that the share of publicly accessible spaces in the new design has increased compared to the original design by 14 percent to 84 percent. The civic space represented by a kindergarten or restaurant has risen from the original 1.7 percent to 11.6 percent. Kunovský added that the entire area will also be open to everyone, and for security reasons, it will only be closed for a few hours at night.

Some local residents and opposition representatives of the municipal district oppose the planned construction. For instance, the ČSSD party, along with the civic association Civic Initiative Pankrác, supported a petition against the construction. The municipal council of Prague 4 also dealt with the intention at the beginning of April. However, the council members ultimately voted to return to the discussion of the item at the next meeting.

Today, Central Group responded to the criticism. In a letter addressed to representatives of Prague 4 and other public administration authorities, among other things, it stated that due to the demands of the municipal district, it has reduced the planned maximum height of the buildings to 68 meters, which is two meters below the level recommended by UNESCO. "Prague cannot only live off the past - it must also look to the future," Kunovský remarked.