The piano in Prague's náměstí Míru has received a new "jacket."

photo: Lucie Kmentová

Prague - The piano in Prague's Peace Square has received a new "coat" against inclement weather. It was designed and created by architect Markéta Zdebská, who is involved in the Pianos on the Street project. The cover is intended to allow instruments to be placed outdoors. Zdebská stated this today to ČTK.
    Pianos on the Street was started last year by café owner Ondřej Kobza in Prague, and soon people in other Czech cities followed suit. According to Zdebská, 11 instruments have been placed in the metropolis, mostly in covered spaces. For example, the piano in Peace Square had to be covered with a tarp every night.
    Zdebská therefore designed a cover that will protect the instruments even in open spaces. The author launched the trial operation today. She obtained funding for production through the Linhart Foundation, and the material was provided by a sponsor. The protective cover resembles a larger piano when folded. "The shelter essentially functions as a case for the instrument; custom-made to thematically support the placed piano," remarked Zdebská.
    Whether the idea will expand to other pianos will become clear during the summer, according to Zdebská. Options for covering an instrument could include locations such as Kampa or Vrchlického Gardens.
    In the streets of Prague this year, according to her, there will be fewer pianos compared to last year. Last year, the authors of the project aimed to raise people's interest and expand the idea to other cities.
    The instruments were primarily obtained from private donors who came forward themselves. Vandals damaged two of them, specifically in Prague's Peace Square and in Písek.