In the Prague Zoo, the cubist Gočár houses have begun to be renovated

Prague - The wooden cubist houses designed by interwar architect Josef Gočár are being repaired at the Prague Zoo. Jana Ptačinská Jirátová, the zoo spokesperson, told ČTK. The houses were located in a flood zone, where they were damaged by floods in 2002. Before the reconstruction, they were dismantled. During the repair, they will be relocated to the northern part of the area.
    In the two log buildings, a restaurant, a small museum of the history of the Prague Zoo, a gallery, and a lecture hall will be created, according to the spokesperson. "The overall restoration should be completed by the end of the year and will cost 34 million crowns," Ptačinská stated. The zoo received a subsidy from European funds for the reconstruction.
    The zoo announced a tender for the reconstruction of these cultural monuments at the turn of the year. According to Ptačinská, three companies applied, with Gema Art Group becoming the winner.
    The houses built in the so-called national style were created in the early 1920s. Their author, Gočár, was inspired by folk architecture. The houses were colorful and decorated in the colors of the tricolor.
    There were originally three and they stood at the first Prague airport in Kbely. They served as a restaurant, technical, and administrative building. In the 1960s, they were dismantled and relocated to the area of the Troja Zoo. At the end of the 1970s, they were reassembled again. However, in August 2002, they were flooded. In 2006, a private individual wanted to place them on Kosárkově nábřeží, but the Prague 1 council did not allow the land lease, not wanting to permit the placement of the monument in a flood zone.