In Petřiny, there will be a new branch of the city library with a hall

Prague – A new branch of the Municipal Library of Prague (MKP) will be established in Petřiny, Prague. The building will include a small hall, outdoor seating, and a kitchenette. Construction is expected to begin in the middle of this year and will cost approximately 170 million crowns. Lenka Hanzlíková, the library's spokesperson, announced this today. The building's designers are architects from the monom studio in collaboration with atelier Zavadil. The Municipal Library is established by the capital city, has 43 branches, and operates three so-called bibliobuses. Currently, access to library buildings is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The building will meet the requirements for the operation of a modern library. Visitors can look forward to a modern, airy two-story space for relaxation, study, and the realization of their own ideas, which will be divided into age and functional zones," Hanzlíková stated.

The building will feature a small hall for cultural, educational, and community events, as well as the necessary equipment for coworking, studying, or creative gatherings. The library spaces will be freely connected to the garden, and there will be a terrace for outdoor seating. A kitchenette will also be available for preparing refreshments from provided ingredients.

The plan for building the library was already created about eight years ago. In 2016, the project by the mentioned architects was developed, which received a zoning decision the year before last. The library applied for a building permit last year. "Construction work could thus begin in the middle of this year, and the new library should be completed within two years," Hanzlíková said.

Libraries closed to the public due to government anti-epidemic measures on October 22 last year. The Municipal Library moved many of its activities online and expanded its e-book offerings, which now number several thousand titles. Subsequently, readers were able to start picking up reserved titles through pickup windows.

Last year, people borrowed about five million books and other printed materials. The MKP library collection contained more than 1.8 million books last year. It is the third-largest library collection in the Czech Republic, after the National Library and the Moravian Library in Brno.