The tower project in Prague 3 is being changed by the developer according to IPR due to the city's requirements

Prague - The project for high-rise buildings in Prague's Žižkov will be revised by Central Group due to a change in the city's stance, spokesperson for the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) Marek Vácha told ČTK today. The institute is responsible for preparing a study of the surrounding area. The development company announced a project change in June, citing the findings of a UNESCO observation mission from 2019, said Central Group spokesperson Ondřej Šťastný.

Central Group director Dušan Kunovský stated at a meeting with journalists at the end of June that UNESCO, in its statement, demands that new buildings on the site of the former Telecom complex, which features a 96-meter high telecommunication tower, should not exceed the approximately fifty-meter surrounding buildings. However, according to Kunovský, the design of towers up to one hundred meters tall by architects Eva Jiřičná and Petr Vágner cannot be lowered, leading the company to initiate a complete redesign of the project.

The final report of the observation mission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 2019, which Šťastný referred to, only mentions the tower project in a footnote, noting that the participants of the visit were informed about it only later. In connection with the adjacent area of the Žižkov Freight Railway Station, where construction is also planned, the report recommends that for buildings over ten stories, their designs should be submitted for review to the advisory bodies of the World Heritage Center. The report specifically mentions in its conclusions and recommendations the Pankrác Plain, where the authors believe that buildings should not exceed a height of 60 to 70 meters.

According to Vácha, the demand for project adjustment does not stem from UNESCO, which cannot interfere in the preparation and approval processes. "UNESCO as an institution does not comment on the project. The investor has revised the proposal because the city has changed its stance," the spokesperson said today. The fact that UNESCO could not mandate anything to Prague or the investor was also pointed out by Kateřina Bečková, vice-chair of the Club for Old Prague, on her blog.

Vácha added that IPR is now preparing a study of the entire Olšanská Street area, as mandated by the city council at the end of May. "The current approach will bring a solution that will be in line with the city's status as a UNESCO site and the needs of its residents. A lower height of some buildings does not necessarily mean a smaller number of apartments or lower-quality public spaces," he stated.

Central Group spokesperson Šťastný said today to ČTK that the demands for maximum height of new constructions in the area emerged from the statement of the UNESCO World Heritage Center observation mission and the ICOMOS council in spring 2019. "These requirements were set only after the project by architect Jiřičná and the AI DESIGN studio had already been proposed and presented," Šťastný stated.

He added that although the originally planned height of the towers roughly corresponds to the current building, and the proposal received many positive responses, there is a desire to achieve the highest possible consensus. "The project will therefore be redesigned, with new buildings being significantly lower and structured into urban blocks with a strong emphasis on greenery, public space, and vibrant ground floors featuring many small shops, services, restaurants, and cafes. This will satisfy the demands of UNESCO as well as other authorities," the spokesperson said. He added that the company intends to build the original towers elsewhere.