The project for the tallest building in the Czech Republic in Ostrava will change; instead of one tower, there will be two

Ostrava – The company RT Torax, which is planning to build the tallest building in the Czech Republic in the center of Ostrava, must change its project. Instead of one tower taller than 230 meters, the building will now have two towers due to new geological findings. The taller of the two will still be the tallest building in the country. The Ostrava-based company RT Torax announced this today in a press release to ČTK. The investor has already informed the city council about the change. The planned construction was previously criticized by some members of the city opposition.

"Geological assessments and static calculations of the foundation indicated a potential subsidence and settling of the building outside the tolerance range of seven to nine centimeters. Calculations and detailed analyses by an international team from Bollinger und Grohmann and Baugrund Dresden, in collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden, found that this high-rise building could sink by up to 16 centimeters," stated the company.

The Ostrava region is marked by intensive coal mining. Until 1982, a coke plant operated in the Karolina area, and after its demolition, the land was remediated and decontaminated. On the plot between 28. října street and the shopping center Nová Karolina, known as "Slza" due to its shape, RT Torax conducted an engineering-geological survey last year, which showed that a high-rise building could be constructed there.

The company then commissioned a detailed project, which was re-evaluated, particularly with laboratory tests and analyses of the compressing layers of clay in the subsoil. "The conclusion of the experts is that the quality of the local Neogene clays poses too great a risk for the narrow base of a single tower. Mining relics at greater depths do not present a problem, however, the foundation of a single tower in this area is not feasible due to the quality and load-bearing capacity of the geological layers above the former mining works," stated the company.

The chairman of the board of RT Torax Group, Tomáš Haring, stated that the company focuses on the safety of the construction itself as well as its operation. "We must have absolute certainty in this regard before starting construction," said Haring. Michal Krištof from the architectural studio Chybik + Kristof Architects & Urban Designers stated that the studio will prepare a new design that will comply with the new findings. "Experts recommended returning to the original solution of the complex consisting of two towers and distributing the load of the entire structure over a larger area. The two towers will, however, be significantly farther apart compared to the original proposal. The taller of them will still certainly be the tallest building in the Czech Republic. All originally proposed urban and city-forming elements will remain preserved," said Krištof.

Today, Ostrava city councillors decided to extend the deadline for the company by eight months during which the city will resolve the still unresolved questions about the entire project. The councillors will also present a new proposal that will take into account the now established facts. "We were supposed to reach an agreement on all outstanding issues of the purchase contract between the city and RT Torax by the end of April. We do not want to negotiate under pressure and ignore this new reality; we want to provide the investor with sufficient space, and thus we are extending the deadline for reaching an agreement to the end of 2022, which is an additional eight months. We expect that the investor will come up with a new proposal within this period," said Macura.

Opposition councillor Lukáš Semerák (Ostravak) criticized the city's approach today. He pointed out that the project is accompanied by a number of complications and changes, and the council has had to deal with it several times already. Semerák would therefore expect the investor to come up with a proposal for compensation. According to Macura, however, the project already represents significant costs for the investor. Moreover, according to him, the city acquired a higher price than the appraised value for the sale of the land. "I believe that a city like Ostrava, where investors do not flock in through every window, door, and chimney, should approach investors proactively and create good conditions for them to invest here," said the mayor.

The building is expected to be a new landmark in Ostrava. It will be a commercial and administrative center with a hotel and apartments; according to previous information, it was to have 60 floors and cost over two billion crowns.

"All functions contained in the original design of a single tower will continue to be preserved. The largest part of the complex will consist of residential apartments. An observation deck accessible to the public will be located on the highest floors. There will still be a hotel, office spaces, a spa, restaurants, and entertainment," stated the company.