In the center of Plzeň, a new landmark by architect Bořek Šípek will be created

Plzeň - The new modern dominant feature of the center of Plzeň is set to be the Ehrlich Palace, designed by one of the most famous Czech architects, Bořek Šípek. In two buildings worth roughly a quarter of a billion crowns, which will arise in the gap in Šafaříkovy sady, luxurious apartments, shops, and restaurants will be created by the end of next year. Miloslav Mašata, chairman of the board of the Plzeň project studio (PPA), which contributed the land in the gap to the project, stated this to ČTK. Its neighboring office building will undergo a major renovation. PPA has secured a loan from Česká spořitelna.
    "When I showed it to foreign developers, they couldn't believe that such a beautiful vacant lot exists in the center of Plzeň," said Michal Štěpánek, owner of the investment company MICHAEL Development, who is a native of Plzeň and was involved in the inception of the project.
    "Construction will begin in June, and apartment owners will be able to move in within 14 months," he added. The palace will have nine above-ground floors, with 50 apartments ranging from 1+1 to 120 m², all with terraces and balconies. The palace will feature a reception with a continuous service, a sauna, a shop, and a restaurant, as well as 56 parking spaces in the basement. The prices of the luxurious apartments, which Štěpánek notes are lacking in Plzeň, will range from 40,000 to 70,000 CZK/m². The developer will today publish the sales plan and begin taking reservations. Directors of Plzeň companies and foreign managers have already shown interest.
    The adjacent administrative building opposite the Continental Hotel will be preserved, but it will undergo a major reconstruction. More than 2,000 m² of space for shops and offices will be created there. PPA will also be located there.
    MICHAEL Development specializes in the construction of luxury housing in the most attractive locations in the Czech Republic and has also built apartment buildings in the USA. The projects are always designed by leading Czech architects. In Plzeň, they are also preparing a project for villa houses by the České údolí reservoir.
    "I decided very quickly. I met Mr. Štěpánek while transferring at Amsterdam airport; there wasn't much time," said fifty-eight-year-old Šípek, who studied architecture and industrial design in Germany. To date, he has realized private homes in the Netherlands, Germany, and the Czech Republic as part of residential projects. His well-known proposals in the Czech Republic include the Art Center Arzenal in Prague and the footbridge over Chotkovy Street. In Plzeň, he mentioned that he does not participate in public competitions because he does not trust them. He expects to be approached by an investor or developer, and he has enough work.
    The name Ehrlich is a reminder of the tragic fate of a large Jewish family from Plzeň. "My mother, née Ehrlich, was the only one from the family who survived the concentration camp," recalled Štěpánek. According to Irena Králová, a Plzeň architect from the Concept and Urban Development Department, it is very good that the gap will be used and the park circuit will be closed. According to her, it will be a palace in the true sense of the word, following all the residences and villa houses that are not what they claim to be.