The new construction project in Revoluční will apply for a zoning decision

Prague - The investor of the new building designed by architect Eva Jiřičná will apply for a zoning decision at the beginning of 2016. The construction is planned to take place at the end of Revoluční Street. Libor Winkler, co-owner of the financial group RSJ, which is expected to finance the project, said this to journalists today. He anticipates costs in the hundreds of millions of crowns, and the building is to include publicly accessible spaces. The new construction has been in preparation for many months, but it involves the demolition of an adjacent building, which is delaying the issuance of necessary permits.
    The project for the new building was initiated several years ago by the owner of the neo-Renaissance building, which today closes Revoluční Street towards the Vltava River. The project was developed by the DaM studio and received approval from the heritage authorities. However, the Ministry of Culture decided in the appeal proceedings that the neighboring building should not be demolished.
    Two years ago, RSJ became involved in the project, rejected the original plan, and chose Jiřičná to design a different building. The architect presented several variants last year, which she revised due to objections from heritage authorities. She opted for a solution where the main building reaches the height of the cornice of the neighboring building on Revoluční Street, and three setback floors are designed above this level. However, the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) wanted to reduce the height and did not recommend a corner tower.
    Architect Petr Vágner, who works with Jiřičná at the AI-DESIGN studio, stated today that both the demolition and the new building were positively evaluated by the Institute of Planning and Development as well as the expert board for heritage care at the municipality. A binding opinion from the heritage conservation department is crucial for further construction permits, which the project does not yet have.
    The NPÚ also comments on similarly significant projects in Prague, although its opinion is not binding. "All proposals submitted so far for the development of this corner parcel have been rejected by the NPÚ, including the last project from 2014 by the AI DESIGN studio under the leadership of Eva Jiřičná, although this last submitted architectural proposal can be considered a positive development compared to all previously discussed options," said Andrea Holasová from NPÚ to ČTK today. However, according to her, the anticipated demolition of the adjacent building is a fundamental factor for rejecting the project, which is "unacceptable from the perspective of heritage conservation under the given circumstances."
    Jiřičná's design incorporates the late Baroque house on Lannova Street and connects with surrounding buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries. The project plans to make the Baroque structure accessible to the public via a passage from Revoluční Street. According to Winkler, there could be gallery spaces in it, with additional publicly accessible areas on the ground floor, offices in the upper floors, and apartments even higher up. Jiřičná, who is also responsible for the interior of the building, would like to give Prague a building with a significant use of glass. "The technology of glass is at such a level today that something exceptional can be done with it," she said.
    People can view an exhibition showcasing the Novomlýnská building until October 22 in Republic Square; it will then be on display in Příkopy until November 4.