The appearance of the construction at the site of the Žižkov Telecom is changing; instead of three towers, there will be one

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Prague - The residential project Centrum Nového Žižkova, which will be built on the site of the demolished former Telecom building in Prague 3, will change. Instead of the planned three residential towers up to 100 meters high, there will be only one, and it will be the shortest of the originally intended. This was announced to journalists today by representatives of the developer group Central Group and the author of the design, architect Eva Jiřičná. One of the reasons for the project modification was criticism from institutions and heritage protectors.

The original project consisted of a lower residential block and three wavy residential towers with heights of 80, 90, and 100 meters. The revised design now includes only one 25-story tower, which will stand 80 meters tall. The arrangement of other buildings in the area has also changed. For example, the kindergarten has been enlarged and separated into its own structure.

Some institutions had objections to the originally proposed heights and the layout of the new development. According to the developer, the zoning plan for this land did not set any limits regarding capacity or building height. However, Central Group promised to change the design based on the observation mission's statement from UNESCO and subsequently due to a change in the city's position.

According to architect Jiřičná, both her original and the now presented new design had their advantages. "It is completely normal for competition proposals to evolve based on discussions. Urban planning and building heights are addressed differently in the new proposal, but the architecture and the capacities of the floor areas remain very similar," Jiřičná stated.

Work on the project, which will consist of a total of five buildings, is still ongoing. The interior layout of the buildings needs to be adjusted, and many design details must be finalized. Proposals for a water feature in the square, artistic works in the area, and an optimal design for the public space with greenery also need to be developed.

Central Group expects to begin construction of the residential project Centrum Nového Žižkova ideally in 2027. The costs of construction cannot yet be quantified. The project is currently at an advanced stage of discussion, and the change to the zoning plan is being finalized, said the executive of Central Group, Dušan Kunovský.

Central Group bought the complex of the former Telecom in Prague's Žižkov district in 2017 from Česká telekomunikační infrastruktura (CETIN) of the PPF Group. The building was opened in 1980 and was once nicknamed "Štrougalova věž" after the then-prime minister Lubomír Štrougal, or derogatorily "Mordor" after the novel by British author J.R.R. Tolkien.

The iconic tower no longer stands, and the developer is completing the demolition of the complex. Kunovský stated at the beginning of last year that the demolition of the former Telecom buildings would cost hundreds of millions of crowns.