The roof of Prague's Lucerna will permanently open to the public

Prague - The Rooftop of Lucerna will be symbolically opened to the public on May 19, 110 years after the completion of the first part of the multifunctional building. It will include a new exhibition titled How Lucerna Elevated the Urban Character of Prague, which discusses the Havel family and their construction of Lucerna. Visitors will be able to visit the rooftop space every Sunday and Monday from 3:00 PM until dusk until the end of October. This was stated today by the café owner Ondřej Kobza, who has rented the space.

"Just as the Havels elevated the character of Prague, we would like to elevate it as well," said the exhibition's author, journalist Krystyna Wanatowiczová, who has a long-term interest in the Havel family and the history of Lucerna. She wrote a biography of Miloš Havel, the uncle of the first Czech president Václav Havel, and is preparing another book about Lucerna. "It's a sort of outline for the forthcoming book; I drew from Václav M. Havel's book My Memories, various archives, and sources," Wanatowiczová told ČTK. The permanent exhibition, which tells the story of the entrepreneurial Havel family, particularly that of Václav Havel, the builder of the Lucerna palace and grandfather of President Havel, can be viewed on 15 cylindrical displays. They previously served as timetables at the train station.

"I am very happy to stand in a place where I have experienced so many beautiful moments," noted composer Jiří Suchý. He also reminisced about the nine concerts of musician Louis Armstrong that he and Jiří Šlitr had the opportunity to present together, as well as about the doorman Mr. Liling, whose name always appeared on Lucerna's posters. "I hope that the Rooftop of Lucerna becomes a place where people will go," said Václav Havel's brother, Ivan Havel. His wife, Dagmar Havlová, the owner of Lucerna, has been gradually reconstructing the building for some time and preparing further repairs. On Vodíčková Street, she plans to create a new façade, and there is an approved increase of the roof for a new attic extension on the buildings in the courtyard. "Both renovations will cost tens of millions of crowns in total," Havlová told ČTK.

In addition to the exhibition, interested parties can attend a series of lectures and workshops on so-called urban farming. They can also learn about the history of Lucerna or practice yoga. Another goal is to improve the microclimate in the Green Roof project through urban farming. "We have prepared a concept of five gardens in the form of plants in large pots - a party garden, a bird garden, a bee garden, a butterfly garden, and a medicinal garden. These are meant to attract insects and birds," noted landscape architect Martina Imramová.