Hotel Evropa will be renovated in Art Nouveau style after the arrival of the hotelier

Prague - A new operator for the Art Nouveau hotel Evropa at Wenceslas Square in Prague is expected to be selected by the end of this year. The owner does not plan to change the purpose of the famous building, which is a cultural monument. "We will restore the shine to this historical gem facing Wenceslas Square. In the inner courtyard, we will implement new construction according to the design by the architectural office DaM," said Lenka Vlčková from the marketing department of the Prague Property Management (PSN), which owns the building.
  The sample room, which was part of the Designblok at the hotel and caused some visitors to worry about the future appearance of the Art Nouveau building, was, according to her, "a non-binding proposal mainly for the purpose of generating interest among visitors to Designblok." It was built in a room where historical elements had already been damaged during the past regime, she added. Its temporary implementation will have no impact on the return of original elements to the Art Nouveau building. "Under no circumstances did we consider destroying the original furniture," she stated.
  Once a famous hotel, which has not seen any investment for years, thus leaving the original interior almost untouched, has been closed for a year. The construction, which will require an investment of hundreds of millions of crowns, is expected to last about two and a half years. However, the investor wants to begin only when the future operator of the hotel is known. According to the project, the Art Nouveau section will retain its authentic character from the early twentieth century, especially the valuable two-story café and French lounge. The modern extension in the courtyard will offer additional services and increase accommodation capacity.
  The hotel reconstruction obtained a building permit in 2008. In 2010, it was supplemented by a change of construction before completion. "The construction started last year - although these were works unrelated to the street-facing Art Nouveau building - and continues in accordance with the permit and under the supervision of Prague conservationists," said architect Jiří Havrda from the DaM studio to ČTK. Loose furniture was documented and moved to heated storage with security at the investor's premises in Prague 5, so that it would not be damaged during subsequent work, he added.
  The October Designblok had one of its main hubs at the hotel. The week-long event offered presentations of designers and companies from the field of design in the hotel spaces, with PSN presenting the alleged appearance of one of the upcoming rooms, designed by the Archina office. The uniform standard hotel interior raised concerns among many Designblok visitors about how the hotel would look after renovation.
  "The implementation of this room will have no impact on the return of original elements to the Art Nouveau building of the hotel," says Vlčková today. Under no circumstances did the owner consider that the original furniture would be destroyed. "On the contrary, we approach it with the utmost sensitivity. We believe that preserving all valuable historical elements is a real added value, especially for the future operation of the hotel. Therefore, we want to return all original elements to the reconstructed Art Nouveau building," she adds.
  The hotel was built in 1872 by architect Josef Schulz in the neo-Renaissance style. After a reconstruction in 1889, it was transformed into a style of geometric Art Nouveau between 1903 and 1905. In 1924, the hotel was purchased by restaurateur Karel Šroubek, after whom it was named.
  The hotel became known worldwide not only for its Art Nouveau decoration but also for its renowned cuisine and first-class services. Before the war, it housed British businessman Nicholas Winton, who managed the rescue of Jewish children from Nazism from there. In 1951, the hotel was nationalized and renamed Grand Hotel Evropa. After 1989, it was restituted, and the current domestic owner purchased it in the 1990s. Based on a mandate agreement, it was transferred to the Prague Property Management, which is the investor of the reconstruction.