Prague Castle and Lány Castle are awaiting repairs worth 300 million crowns

Prague - The Administration of Prague Castle (SPH) plans to renovate the facades and roof of the southern wing of the New Royal Palace, the building on Vikářská Street, or the church in Lány next year. The reconstruction of the Supreme Burgrave's Office and the residence in the Royal Garden will also continue. David Šebek, spokesman for SPH, said this to ČTK. The organization will spend over 300 million crowns on repairs. Due to the renovations of the New Royal Palace, the South Gardens will be closed.

The largest investment by SPH will go towards the ongoing reconstruction of the residence in the Royal Garden, where Czechoslovak presidents used to live. For next year, it has allocated 75 million crowns for this purpose. The focus will primarily be on interior modifications. According to the public procurement bulletin, underfloor heating will be installed in the building, two elevators will be constructed, and two rooms will be created in the attic. The facility will serve for the accommodation of state visits and guests of the Office of the President of the Republic, and smaller social events will be held on the ground floor.

The reconstruction of the Supreme Burgrave's Office, which began in 2017, will also continue. Next year, the Administration of Prague Castle has earmarked 42 million crowns for it. The Supreme Burgrave's Office, three houses, the Black Tower, and the house next to it, as well as the courtyard, are to be repaired.

A significant investment will be the replacement of the roof and the repair of the facade of the southern wing of the New Royal Palace. "The facade was last repaired in 1982, and the roof is over 100 years old. Due to the reconstruction, the South Gardens will be closed for technical reasons in 2019," said Šebek. It will cost about 20 million crowns.

The facades and roofs of the buildings on Vikářská Street, which runs around St. Vitus Cathedral, are also scheduled for reconstruction. The Vikárka, including the restaurant and its facilities, will also be repaired, according to SPH "in terms of architectural expression in line with heritage preservation." "All internal modifications will therefore only affect modern structures. The goal of the reconstruction will be to follow the period of the last documented known period of monastic architecture, which was the classicism," Šebek stated.

Next year, the optical backbone network designated for security projects at Prague Castle will also be modernized and expanded for 16 million crowns. Another 15 million crowns will be spent on window repairs or cleaning of the interior spaces in the Old Royal Palace, which have been damaged by visitors. SPH will pay 14 million crowns for the reconstruction of operational buildings in the castle greenhouses.

In addition to Prague Castle, SPH is responsible for the Lány Castle and its surroundings. For next year, it plans to spend about 34.5 million crowns on the repair of the church, the northern perimeter wall, and the castle pond in Lány. The Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus will undergo renovation of its interior spaces, exterior envelope, as well as windows or roof and framework for 25 million crowns.