From the building of the former Živnobanka, a center for Czech glass will be established within 2 years

Prague - The former Živnobank building on Na Příkopě street in Prague will become the center of Czech glassmaking. It is expected to feature exhibitions, glass shops, and offices of glass companies. The cost of building the center is estimated at half a billion crowns. The development group CPI Group, led by entrepreneur Radovan Vitek, plans to open the center in two years. The basic outlines of the project were presented by the group's management at today's meeting with journalists. According to the general director of CPI Group, Zdeněk Havelka, the listed building is to be economically self-sufficient.
    The largest area of the total 20,500 m² will be occupied by permanent exhibitions, covering 8,600 m², while an additional 3,500 square meters will be dedicated to changing exhibitions. In addition to this, the building will also house offices (2,400 m²), shops (1,100 m²), and a restaurant with a café (640 m²).
    "The main theme of several exhibitions will be glass, and a major attraction will be an experiential installation called the Glass Experience by Lasvit, which we are developing with the renowned Czech glass company Lasvit. This will be a unique installation featuring works by both Czech and foreign authors, where Czech glass, crystal, design, the latest technologies, and effects intertwined with sound, light, and transformation of space will play a key role," noted the chairperson of the supervisory board of the Živnobank project, Marie Vítková.
    Project director Ladislav Pflimpfl, who was the longtime director of the Czech Center in London, added that they aim to make it a showcase for Czech glass and creativity and one of the most visited places in Prague. "Czech glass is a huge phenomenon in the world that deserves such a prestigious venue in Prague," Pflimpfl remarked.
    The intention is currently in the phase of working on an architectural study for the renovation and adaptation of the building. Construction work and modifications are expected to commence in 2015. The biggest changes will mainly concern the newer part of the building facing Nekázanka street. "Construction work will cost 400 million crowns, while an additional 100 million crowns will be spent on developing the exhibition," Havelka told ČTK, noting that the building should be economically self-sufficient. "In addition to rents for offices and shops, we also anticipate income from entrance fees," Havelka added. The first confirmed tenant of the office and retail space is the company Lasvit. CPI is still in negotiations with other interested parties and plans to announce their names throughout the next year.
    A non-profit organization has been established for the operation of the newly emerging project. Marie Vítková is the chair of the supervisory board, and legal expert Vladimíra Glatzová, the director of the Museum of Applied Arts Helena Koenigsmarková, and glassmaker Zdeněk Lhotský will sit on the board. The main curator of the project is designer Maxim Velčovský.
    CPI Group collaborates with the architectural studio DaM on the project preparation. This studio is known not only for significant new constructions, for which it has received numerous awards (the Euro Palace on Můstku or the Main Point building in Karlín), but also has experience in the reconstruction of historical buildings, among which is the Palace of Noblewomen at Prague Castle. "We have been involved in the preparation of the Živnobank reconstruction for about two years, during which we have sought an optimal use of this significant architectural monument," Jiří Havrda from DaM told ČTK. The exact form of exhibitions and other interiors is not yet known; for example, it will need to be resolved whether permanent installations will be created for the exhibits or whether some will be placed freely in the existing space, along with many other details. The plan for reconstruction is currently in the phase of working on an architectural study.
    Despite its short history, since it was established in 2007, Lasvit has achieved numerous successes both domestically and especially abroad. At home, it has received awards for collaboration with designers (it was named Manufacturer of the Year 2011 in the prestigious Czech Grand Design competition), and glass sculptures and lighting designed by Lasvit adorn the lobbies of the most luxurious hotels and residences around the world. The glass is produced exclusively in the Czech Republic - at the glassworks in Lindava near Nový Bor.
    The Živnobank building on Na Příkopech was created at the end of the 19th century according to a design by architect Osvald Polívka, who is known primarily for co-authoring the nearby Municipal House. The building's side façade led to Nekázanka, where the original portal from the Nostický Palace with sculptures by Matyáš Bernard Braun from the first half of the 18th century was installed. The building is connected to the opposite house by bridges across Nekázanka from 1909. Later, a rear building on Nekázanka was added, which received a fourth floor according to a design by architect Jan Žák in 1927-28. Notable Czech artists, including Mikoláš Aleš, Stanislav Sucharda, and Max Švabinský, contributed to the decoration of the Živnobank. Today, the building is a cultural monument; from 1966 to 2005, it housed an information center for the Prague Information Service.