The owner of the house on Wenceslas Square stated that he is preparing for its demolition

Prague - The owner of the building at the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova Street is preparing for the demolition of the structure. The company Flow East wants to build a glass building in its place. A few days ago, builders erected scaffolding around the corner building, and it is now covered with a tarp. Tenants of the building have received eviction notices. Developer spokesperson Veronika Hanzlíková told ČTK today that the company has a demolition order for the structure.

"We are pleased that after receiving the demolition order for the building at Wenceslas Square 47, we can start the next phase of construction of the Flower House," she stated. The plan for the new building in downtown Prague has sparked conflicting opinions for years, with authorities intermittently giving it the green light and also halting it.

"Prague is subject to some of the strictest approval process regulations in all of Europe. This process for Flow East took over ten years and required numerous opinions and statements from various authorities. We were very pleased that in 2010, the heritage preservation department issued a positive opinion on the construction of the Flower House and that we are now able to realize our shared vision," Hanzlíková said.

Prague heritage officials granted the building consent in 2010, which is necessary for any construction in a heritage preservation area. A year later, the Ministry of Culture, then led by Jiří Besser, confirmed it in an appeal process. His successor Alena Hanáková (both TOP 09 and STAN) then definitively rejected the heritage protection of the building, which was another step toward demolition.

The construction office of Prague 1 approved the request in September 2013, but after appeals, the city hall canceled it in June 2014, and it had to be assessed again. The proceedings on the zoning decision were also repeated. After the issuance of the first one in 2013, the city hall stated that the construction office's decision was inconsistent with regulations because it assumed the preservation of the façade of the printing house, which no longer exists.

However, the preservation of the non-existent remains remained one of the conditions that the construction office set even in the new decision. The project documentation for the building permit must, according to its decision from this February, include "detailed solutions for incorporating and shaping the existing remains of the street facade of the Opletalova 3 building in relation to the skin of the new building."

On the site of the planned construction stands a structure rebuilt in 1920 according to the design of architect Bohumír Kozák. Part of the public and experts have opposed its demolition. The investor also counts on using the adjacent land of the printing house, which was demolished a few years ago at the owner's request after heritage protection was lifted. The owner claimed that it was in a state of disrepair. The new building is also expected to fill almost the entire inner block behind the Jalta Hotel, which is also owned by Flow East. The building is to have nine above-ground floors and three underground levels.

The company has owned the building since 1994. According to the company, the project costs reach billions of crowns. Concerns about possible claims for compensation for lost investment are among the reasons repeatedly cited by the ministry for not declaring the building a cultural monument. Flow East owns nine properties in Prague 1, including six cultural monuments.

In 2013, the construction office permitted the demolition, but the city hall also canceled this decision. A petition against the demolition was drawn up, and protests against the demolition of the building were held several times. Some experts disagree with it.