Repairs of the Old Town Hall will cost 48 million crowns

Prague - The repairs of the Old Town Hall will cost 48 million crowns excluding VAT. The company Subterra will carry out the renovations, according to an announcement of the tender award in the public procurement bulletin. The reconstruction is set to begin this month. In a year, the astronomical clock will be under repair, and projections will replace it until June 2018.

During the repairs, tourists will not have access to the observation deck. In addition to the astronomical clock, scaffolding will cover the construction in the coming months.

Last year, the Town Hall was visited by 868,000 tourists, making it one of the most visited monuments in Prague. Many others, however, do not purchase tickets and observe the astronomical clock only from the outside. The loss of income from ticket sales will be compensated to the Prague City Tourism information service by half of the amount collected from accommodation fees.

The Old Town Hall in Prague was founded in 1338. It consists of a complex of several buildings. In the 20th century, several architectural competitions were announced for the reconstruction and completion of the Town Hall. Most aimed to fill the space left by the demolished Neo-Gothic wing, but none progressed to realization. The Town Hall was last repaired on a similar scale to this year in the 1980s.