Investor reduced the height of the planned new building on Wenceslas Square

Prague - The new building that the investor wants to build in place of the house and neighboring parcels at the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova Street should be approximately the same height as the surrounding buildings. The investor has thus backed away from the original intention, where the building was supposed to significantly exceed the height of the surrounding houses. This follows from the visualizations and documentation of the project. The Czech News Agency (ČTK) was provided with it by Tereza Procházková from Best Communications, which represents the investor company Flow East.
According to the original plan, the building was supposed to have nine above-ground floors; according to the latest proposal, the investor is planning to construct eight floors. The last, or seventh floor will be shifted several meters from the facade, making it less noticeable when viewed from Wenceslas Square. According to the documentation, the last floor is to be nearly 32 meters high.
The building is also expected to have three underground levels. Two are planned for parking, and one for shops. Retail spaces are also planned for the ground floor and the first two floors. The rest of the building will be designated for offices.
The planned new building has elicited mixed reactions from the public and experts. The demolition of the current building, which would have to give way to the new construction, is particularly criticized. The Minister of Culture Jiří Besser previously allowed the demolition with his decision. The house is part of one of the most significant areas of the Prague Heritage Reserve, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
The investor has not yet applied for a demolition permit. Once they do, the construction office of Prague 1 will decide on the application.
The council of the first city district approved the proposed size and height of the potential new building as well as its commercial and administrative use on Tuesday. At the beginning of September, the Prague 1 council's commission for urban development also addressed the construction. Its members also supported the investor's plan. However, the commission demands that an alternative proposal for the material and color solution of the facades be presented to it. "The investor agreed that the exterior appearance will be discussed further," said the mayor of Prague 1 Oldřich Lomecký (TOP 09) today.
The architectural vision was prepared by Chapman Taylor, according to Procházková, which won with its idea of "creating a building based on the strength of the lines of St. Vitus Cathedral, the light of a burning candle, and the flower in bloom." The company is said to be investing one billion crowns into the project, which the investor calls the Flower House. "There are too many uniform buildings in the center of Prague. This city, like its inhabitants, deserves something better," stated James Woolf, the chairman of the board of Flow East.