The extension of the gym and dining hall of ZŠ Lyčkovo náměstí in Prague 8 will begin next year

Prague - The extension of the missing gymnasium and cafeteria with kitchen at the Lyčkovo náměstí Elementary School in Prague 8 is set to begin next year according to the city's plans. The construction is expected to last two years and will cost an estimated 200 to 250 million crowns. This was announced today by the city hall spokesman Martin Šalek. The author of the extension is the Architectural Studio Aleš. Prague 8, like other city districts, has long struggled with a shortage of school places, which has already led to changes in school catchment areas. The city hall operates 24 kindergartens and 15 elementary schools.

"The school does not have a cafeteria or a proper gym, so older children go to physical education and sports at the neighboring school, which is organizationally demanding. The children eat in various spaces throughout Karlín. This long-standing problem will be solved by the planned extension," said Deputy Mayor Matěj Fichtner (ANO).

The Karlín school is a historic building in the Art Nouveau style. However, the architects did not try to mimic it and design in the same style, but rather to create a contrast between the old and the new. "In terms of the richness of shapes, we thought it made no sense to compete with it, so we chose a discreet and fully functional path," said architect Lukáš Velíšek.

The city hall has been planning the extension for seven years. "After various appeals that reached the Supreme Administrative Court, the project now has a valid building permit, and there are no obstacles to construction," Šalek stated. The construction is expected to take two years from the start of work.

The final cost of the school will depend on the outcome of the tender for the construction company. The city district has already received a grant of 103 million crowns from the city hall for the construction, and additional financial contributions for the remaining costs have also been promised.

This year, the city leadership approved changes to the school catchment areas due to the insufficient number of places, so that some streets in Karlín are no longer part of the overcrowded elementary and kindergarten schools at Lyčkovo náměstí and in Petra Strozziho Street, but now belong to the Palmovka Elementary School in Libeň. This plan is expected to take effect from the 2024/2025 school year. In the future, children from these streets should relocate to the school on Rohanský Island.

According to Fichtner, the city district needs 2.5 billion crowns for schools, including the construction of the school on Rohanský Island.