The repair of the headquarters of Prague planners has been delayed by objections, it could start next year

Prague - The planned reconstruction of the headquarters of the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) in the Emauz complex, costing around 1.16 billion crowns, has been delayed by challenges from participants in the tender at the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS). This is stated in a document that was discussed by the city council on Monday. According to IPR director Ondřej Boháč, if the office confirms the tender, work could begin next year. IPR is a municipal organization responsible for urban planning.

The reason for the repairs of three architecturally valuable buildings designed by architect Karel Prager is their poor condition. The buildings have structural problems and are leaking. "All assessments indicate that the buildings are beyond their lifespan, and with each passing year, the reconstruction will become more expensive," Boháč told ČTK. "If we were to tender this today, the estimate is that the price would be 30 percent higher," he added.

According to city information, two construction companies applied for last year's tender, but two challenges questioning the competition's specifications also arrived. IPR rejected the challenges, and the companies subsequently turned to ÚOHS.

The tender was conceived using the so-called design and build method, where the same company develops the project and undertakes the construction work. If the antimonopoly office rules in favor of the institute, according to Boháč, there will be about a year of design work followed by the start of repairs. The city expects that the office could decide on the matter by the end of May, according to information for the councilors.

The city's leadership decided on the reconstruction last April; according to the original schedule, the first work was supposed to begin this autumn. During the repairs, the roof, facade, and insulation of the building will be repaired. The interior spaces will also be renovated, including a new office and meeting room layout. The project also includes adjustments to the outdoor spaces between the buildings, where a park will be created.

The three administrative buildings nicknamed Prager's cubes were built in the garden of the Emauzy Monastery at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. Upon completion, they housed the Project Institute of Construction of Prague, where their designer, Karel Prager, was also active, as well as the building of the former Federal Assembly. IPR has been located in the complex since 2013; in 2017, it established the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning (CAMP) in one of the buildings for public use.