The new hotel in Hradec will be designed for CPI by Schindler Seko Architects

Hradec Králové - The CPI real estate group of Radovan Vítek plans to invest over a billion crowns in the construction of a new hotel with a multifunctional center in Hradec Králové on the site of the current Černigov hotel. CPI representatives told this to journalists today. The investor intends to demolish the Černigov hotel, which has sparked discussions and resistance from parts of the public in the city. A petition against the demolition of the hotel has been signed by nearly 200 people so far.
    The prefabricated Černigov hotel from the 1970s is the tallest building in the city, located on Riegrovo náměstí next to the main train station of Czech Railways. CPI plans to replace it with a complex centered around a four-star Clarion hotel, which will be complemented by a congress center, offices, and retail spaces at street level. The project includes a commercial courtyard with restaurants and a café.
    "We believe that this project will enrich the central part of Hradec Králové with a quality urban space that will become a natural part of the pedestrian corridor between the station and the city center,” said Igor Klajmon, director of development for CPI Property Group. The winning architectural design was created by the Schindler Seko Architects studio.
    CPI plans to start construction in mid-2016, with three months allocated for demolition and preparatory work, followed by another year and a half for the actual construction. The new complex is expected to create a base for 1,400 jobs. Over 1,300 people are expected to work in the office part, while the hotel should employ another 60. The hotel will have 150 rooms. The dominant feature of the building will be a hotel tower 38.5 meters high. The Černigov hotel stands at 55 meters tall.
    According to opponents of the Černigov demolition, it would be a shame to cover the generous space of the renovated Riegrovo náměstí with new buildings and thus significantly reduce it. "The Černigov hotel, designed by the prominent Hradec architect Jan Zídka, is a significant architectural work within the urban organism, which, with its distinctive simplicity, reflects the architectural tradition of Hradec Králové from the interwar years,” stated petition committee member Lenka Zídková. Opponents of the demolition are also trying to register the hotel as a cultural monument.
    However, according to Klajmon, the structural design of the building does not allow for renovation, primarily due to inadequate layouts and low ceilings on individual floors. Therefore, according to CPI, the only viable solution is the construction of a new building. According to architect Jan Kasl, who chaired the architectural competition for the new complex, the current hotel is unable to provide accommodation at a 21st-century level. He described the building as a representative of its time that has outlived its usefulness.
    The construction of the new complex has been supported by the Hradec mayor Zdeněk Fink. He said that the city lacks a congress hotel, and the complex will also bring new jobs. Fink stated that other hotels in the city will also benefit from it.
    CPI Property Group manages assets worth over 4.1 billion euros. The group owns office buildings, rental apartments, retail spaces, hotels, industrial sites, and logistics centers. The company's headquarters are in Luxembourg, and its shares are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It operates in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Germany. According to the September ranking by Forbes magazine, Vítek is the fourth richest Czech, with assets exceeding 29 billion crowns.