The demolition of the house on Wenceslas Square will take approximately three months

Prague - The demolition of the building at the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova Street will take about three months. According to the estimate from the owner, Flow East, the building should disappear in about six weeks, with another six weeks required for debris removal. This is stated in a statement sent to ČTK by Veronika Hanzlíková from the Best Communications agency, which represents the developer. ČTK found on-site that the company has begun removing the roof.

The demolition of the building, against which a portion of the public and experts have protested, began on Saturday. Workers are demolishing the building from the upper floors. It is evident on-site that the metal roofing has already been removed from part of the roof. "We expect that the demolition work will take place on-site for approximately three months - the first six weeks will involve the dismantling of the building itself, and the remaining six weeks will be for debris disposal," the company stated in a release.

A portion of the public and experts opposed the demolition of the building. The investor is also considering using the adjacent plot of land of the printing house, which was demolished a few years ago at the owner's request after the removal of its heritage protection. The owner claimed that it was in a state of emergency. The new building is also set to fill nearly the entire courtyard behind the Jalta hotel, which is also owned by Flow East. The facility is expected to have nine above-ground and three underground floors.

The company has owned the building since 1994. According to the company, the project's costs reach billions of korunas. The ministry repeatedly cites concerns about possible claims for compensation for lost investments as one of the reasons why the building was not declared a cultural monument. Flow East owns nine properties in Prague 1, including six cultural landmarks.

The site of the planned building currently houses a structure refurbished in 1920. The building was originally designed by architect Josef Schulz, who was also involved in the National Museum, and completed in 1880. Its intricate and ornate facade was replaced in the 1920s with a simpler form that is known to this day.

The plan for the new construction in the center of Prague has sparked conflicting opinions for years. Prague heritage protectors approved the building in 2010, which is necessary for any construction in a heritage reserve. A year later, it was confirmed by the Ministry of Culture in an appeal process. In 2013, the building authority approved the demolition, but the city hall revoked this decision, and it had to be reassessed. A petition against the demolition was written, and there were several demonstrations against the building's demolition.