Investor reduced the design of the building near the Intercontinental by two floors

Prague - In response to criticism, the owners of the Prague Intercontinental Hotel have reduced the proposed building design by two floors, which they plan to construct on the adjacent Miloš Forman Square. Michal Smrek, chairman of the board of WIC Prague, which owns the hotel, told journalists at today's opening of the information center about the planned project. The hotel is owned by the R2G fund, run by entrepreneurs Oldřich Šlemr, Eduard Kučera, and Pavel Baudiš. The owners plan to renovate the hotel and enhance its surroundings, and according to Smrek, they aim to complete the work by January 1, 2023.

The new owners purchased the hotel last April for approximately 5.8 billion crowns from the Slovak group Best Hotel Properties. They organized a competition for the design of the renovations, and the Czech architectural studio TAK, led by Marek Tichý, was successful. The renovations will include the reconstruction of the hotel's interiors and exteriors, the creation of a new square, making Paris Street accessible to the Vltava River, and modifications to the piazzetta named after Miloš Forman since 2018. The work is expected to cost around 2.5 billion crowns.

The current piazzetta was previously developed, but some of the buildings were destroyed at the end of World War II, and the remainder was demolished at the end of the 1960s. Currently, most of the space is occupied by the ventilation of the hotel's underground garages, which, according to the owners' plans, should disappear. The new building, which is largely glass, is to be located at the corner of Bílková and Paris Street and was originally to have five above-ground floors. After protests from some local residents and discussions with local authorities, the investor has reduced it by two floors. However, according to Smrek, they do not want to further diminish the building's size.

Today, an information center opened in the hotel where people can view the design of the renovations and express their opinions through a questionnaire. "There will also be representatives from the architectural firm here who can professionally outline the project," Smrek said. According to him, the evaluated questionnaires will be provided to the city hall and Prague 1. Nevertheless, they do not want to delay the renovations, as the current situation in Prague without tourists is, according to Smrek, suitable for carrying out the work.

He added that the project is prepared on their side, and they are working on obtaining the necessary permits. Besides the zoning decision and building permit, a change to the zoning plan is required for construction on the piazzetta, as the current plan does not allow such development for the intended purposes. The new Metropolitan Plan, which should come into effect no sooner than 2024, will allow construction on the square according to the proposed draft, which has also drawn criticism in the past.

Deputy Mayor for Urban Development Petr Hlaváček (for TOP 09) stated that he sees the development on the corner of the piazzetta as an attempt to partially restore the original buildings destroyed after World War II. "But there will surely be many debates around it," he said. The mayor of Prague 1, Petr Hejma (STAN), stated that Miloš Forman Square is currently not functioning as a square, which the renovations should change. Regarding the new building, the mayor wants to conduct discussions about the owners' plans. "We will be interested in the opinion of heritage conservation authorities and other stakeholders," he said.

The Prague InterContinental was built between 1968 and 1974, with architects Karel Filsak, Karel Bubeníček, and Jaroslav Švec contributing to the project. It is categorized under the architectural style of brutalism. The Ministry of Culture is currently reviewing a proposal to declare the hotel a cultural monument, which could complicate the owners' plans. It is unclear when a decision might be made.