The Žižkov Tower has been towering over the metropolis for a quarter of a century

Prague - The futuristically designed transmitter that rose in Prague's Žižkov district 25 years ago has been one of the most prominent landmarks of the capital since its opening on February 17, 1992. The building, designed by architect Václav Aulický, has evoked different reactions from the beginning - some appreciate the slender shapes of the 216-meter-high tower, while others consider the transmitter an unforgivable intrusion into Prague's skyline.

Over the years, however, the people of Prague have more or less gotten used to the silhouette of the "rocket ready for launch," today, fiberglass babies by artist David Černý climb on the tower, and no one is considering its demolition.

The decision to build a new telecommunications center in Mahler's gardens was made in the late 1970s. The reason was the unsatisfactory technical condition of the original television transmitter at the Petřín lookout tower. Construction began at the end of 1985.