The repair of Malostranská beseda in Prague 1 will not be completed until next year

Prague - The renovation of the Malostranská Beseda will take a little longer and conclude around the middle of next year. The city council of the first district has agreed to expand the renovation project to include the ground floor and basement. The building will also feature towers in the Renaissance style, which have been absent for two centuries. However, there is still ongoing debate about the towers, which some heritage conservationists advocate for, architect Jan Karásek said during today’s tour of the Beseda.
    “Whether the towers will be built or not is not up to us at this moment. We have them drawn, but there is still discussion among heritage experts about whether the towers are justified in this case, so as not to violate methodological and international principles,” Karásek stated. The city council leadership, according to Mayor Petr Hejma (ODS), is convinced that they should be built.
    According to the original plans, the renovation of the building was to be completed in the middle of this year. The delay was caused by the expansion of the renovation project and other issues. It was discovered, for example, that a unique Renaissance roof structure is in a state of emergency, site manager Václav Kopáček said. Investigations had to be conducted, and a restoration plan for the roof had to be developed. “These matters have delayed us the most,” added Kopáček.
    Workers are currently working on the plastering and facades. Electrical, air conditioning, water, and sewage systems are being finalized. The main construction work is expected to be completed in the summer. The city council is already looking for a future operator of the Malostranská Beseda to participate in the final adjustments of the building. The total costs of the construction work, including the towers, are currently estimated at around 74 million crowns.
    The Beseda is to become a cultural and social center. There will be a multifunctional hall for concerts, theater, and entertainment, various courses and educational events will be held there, and there will be a restaurant and café in the ground floor and basement.
    The Malostranská Beseda served as the town hall of the Lesser Town of Prague from the late 15th century until the late 18th century. In 1575, representatives of the non-Catholic nobility there drafted a joint confession of faith, known as the Czech Confession. A bronze plaque commemorates the event. The building acquired its current appearance in the early 19th century when the gables and towers facing Malostranské Square were removed.