The survey showed that a high-rise building can be constructed on Karolina in the center of Ostrava

Ostrava – It is possible to build a high-rise building up to 200 meters tall on the plot between 28th October Street and the Nová Karolina shopping center in the center of Ostrava. This was indicated by the results of the engineering geological survey that an international team of architects, geotechnical engineers, and high-rise foundation specialists has been conducting there since January. Jindřich Vaněk, spokesperson for the Ostrava company RT Torax, announced this today. The company plans to build the tallest building in the Czech Republic at the site.

The Ostrava region has been marked by intensive mining of black coal, which has been extracted there since the 19th century. However, a designated protective pillar blocked the space under the center of Ostrava. A coking plant operated in the Karolina area until 1982, with the last parts demolished in 1985. An area seven times larger than Prague's Wenceslas Square was remediated and decontaminated between 1997 and 2010 for nearly two billion crowns.

"During the field phase of the survey, specialized organizations carried out a total of ten drillings to depths of 12, 70, and 150 meters," Vaněk stated. The experts examined the state of former mining seams at a depth of about 150 meters underground, while in shallow layers they took soil and groundwater samples and conducted tests for the presence of contaminants.

"The conclusions of all involved experts indicate that the planned construction can be safely founded and anchored in the substrate. The geological conditions at a depth of approximately up to 50 meters are decisive. It has been demonstrated that the clay layer is sufficiently thick and is underpinned by another strong Carboniferous layer composed mainly of sandstone and Neogene clays," stated Jiří Soukup from Studio Anarchitekt.

According to him, it has been proven that the size or condition of the former mining works is not significant for the building. "A building up to 200 meters in height can be safely founded here," Soukup stated.

The survey revealed that there are remnants of the foundations of former industrial buildings in the soft layers that were not removed during the last remediation of the area. There are also moderately elevated concentrations of harmful substances.

"Considering the overall engineering geological conditions, a special founding method has been proposed for the building, combining area and deep elements. Pillars embedded to a depth of approximately 50 meters will support three or four underground floors of the building," Vaněk stated.

The 8300 m² plot of land is referred to as "Slza" due to its shape. The building that will be constructed there is intended to be a new landmark for Ostrava. It will be a commercial and administrative center with a hotel and apartments, which, according to previous information, is expected to have 60 floors and cost over two billion crowns.

"We are pleased that the survey results confirmed our intention to build an exceptional building at this location. We have also gained a lot of valuable information for the final development of both the underground and above-ground portions of the construction. We can now complete the architectural and design work and present the building to the public," stated Tomáš Häring, partner and founder of RT Torax.