The branch of the municipal library in Prague at Petřiny should cost about 226 million

Prague – The new branch of the Municipal Library of Prague (MKP) in Petřiny is set to begin construction in spring, with the total cost of the building estimated at approximately 226 million crowns. The construction work is expected to last 13 months, and the library should open to readers in the fall of 2023. This was announced to journalists today by Prague councilor Hana Třeštíková and MKP director Tomáš Řehák.

"We perceive the branches of the city library not just as places to borrow and return books, but lately they also function as cultural and community centers, and we want to emphasize this role. We want to support the library more so that it offers not only library services but also community-oriented services," said Třeštíková, who is in charge of culture and tourism in the metropolis.

The branch will be built by a consortium of companies Subterra and Chládek & Tintěra, which won the two-round public procurement tender. The winner of the tender was selected by a committee at the end of January from six companies that submitted final offers. Subterra and Chládek & Tintěra proposed to build the library branch for approximately 203 million crowns, announced library spokeswoman Lenka Hanzlíková to ČTK. Demolition of the current library building is expected to start in March, and construction work on the new branch on Mahuleniná Street is set to begin in May. The construction should be completed in 2023, and the new branch is preliminarily scheduled to open to readers in the fall of that year, according to Řehák.

The new building will be created according to the design by architects from the Monom studio and the Zavadil studio. The architects from the Monom studio also prepared the design for the interior furnishings of the branch. Thus, a facility will be created that will include, among other things, a hall for about 60 people and spaces for coworking, studying, or creative meetings. The library spaces will be freely connected to the garden, and a terrace will serve for outdoor seating. People will be able to return or borrow books through self-service devices without assistance from a librarian outside the branch's opening hours.

The previous branch in Petřiny was established in the 1950s along with the Petřiny housing estate. Even after a major reconstruction in the early 1990s, the technical condition of the building no longer met the standards, similar to the size and layout of the facility, according to library spokeswoman Lenka Hanzlíková. The original Petřiny branch closed to readers in October 2021 due to the planned construction of the new building.

The plan for the library's construction was developed ten years ago. In 2016, architects completed a project that received a zoning decision. The building permit was issued in mid-2021.