Prague installed a glass weighing 1.6 tons in the entrance of the cell in Podskalí

Prague – Today, the Prague City Hall installed new glass in the last of the reconstructed cells on the embankment in Podskalí, which forms its facade. The window rotates around a vertical axis and also serves as an entrance. The elliptical glass is seven centimeters thick and weighs about 1.6 tons. City representatives and architect Petr Janda told journalists this today. The city is renewing the cells according to Janda's architectural proposal and the Brainwork studio. The cells will be used by businesses such as Bajkazyl or Tiskárna na vzduchu. In total, the city has reconstructed around two dozen cells on Rašínovo embankment in Podskalí and on Hořejší embankment in Smíchov.

The costs of repairs on both embankments amount to a total of 173.2 million crowns. Repairs, including glass, on Rašínovo embankment cost 86 million. The city has so far selected six tenants for 11 cells.

"As far as we know, it's probably the largest in the world, because circular windows of this type are not very common," Janda said. The glass measures about 5.1 meters at its widest point and is the largest of the glasses placed in the cells on the embankment.

The glass is manufactured by the American company Reynolds, which has a branch in Thailand, from where it was transported to Prague via Hamburg. The price of one piece of glass is around 700,000 crowns.

"With this, the embankment is gaining a new dimension; it will no longer just be the permanent beer fest that was here for a certain period of operation. We are trying to cultivate this space and add something specific," said Prague council member Jan Chabr (TOP 09).

Most of the cells on Rašínovo embankment are barrier-free. However, wheelchair users will need assistance at the largest ones. This is due to their architectural appearance and heritage protection that does not allow for reconstruction. "Basic access is in some cases with assistance, but it does not require any exceptional procedure different from the rest of the heritage-protected environment," Janda said.

The city has also repaired the cells on the Smíchov Hořejší embankment. They do not have glazed facades like those in Podskalí, but doors. This is due to their different architectural appearance and spatial arrangement. The city has already secured tenants for some of the cells, such as the municipal company Trade Centre Prague (TCP) or Calm Down Production.