The Building Authority of Prague 6 has approved the demolition of the buildings near the Hotel Praha

Prague - The building authority of Prague 6 has approved the demolition of several structures near the Hotel Praha. The decision is currently not final, and the parties involved can appeal against it. The office published the decision on the official notice board today. A decision regarding the potential demolition of the hotel itself is expected to be made within days, said Adam Halmoši, spokesman for Prague 6, to ČTK.
The group PPF, which owns the property, intends to build the Open Gate school and a park not accessible to the public in place of the former hotel. The proposed demolition has triggered negative reactions from part of the public and experts.
Today, the building authority approved the removal of garages, a greenhouse, the southern lodge, and a utility yard with a gate. The decision on demolishing the hotel itself is being made in a parallel proceeding.
Hotel Praha was built in the late 1970s. Until November 1989, it served the needs of the Communist Party and the Czechoslovak government. Many view it as a symbol of the pre-November era. Earlier this year, a new owner purchased it with the intention of demolishing it. Shortly thereafter, a group of theorists, artists, architects, and heritage conservationists submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture to declare it a cultural monument. However, not all experts agree; architectural historian Zdeněk Lukeš, for example, stated in the press that he considers the building to be average architecture.
According to supporters of the hotel, the building is a unique example of architecture that stands out from the average of its time. The artworks, decoration, and furnishings in the interiors represent an extraordinarily cohesive collection of contemporary art and design. The main architects of the building were Jaroslav Paroubek, Radko Černý, and Arnošt Navrátil; several other authors contributed to the generous design of both the exterior and interior.