The building authority approved the demolition of the Prague hotel Praha

Prague - The building authority of Prague 6 has approved the demolition of hotel Praha. Participants in the construction process can appeal against the decision, which the office published today on the official notice board. If the verdict becomes legally effective without complications, demolition will begin in January, stated the PPF group, which owns the hotel. The owner plans to build a school and establish a garden at the site of the hotel. Some experts and members of the public oppose the demolition. According to representatives of PPF, more people support the destruction in a petition.
    The investor submitted a demolition request at the end of August. According to PPF spokesperson Radek Stavěl, the plan is to restore the park that used to be on the site until the 1970s, although it will not be open to the public. In the lower part of the hotel complex, that is, in the area of the garages, there will be a connection with the neighboring property and the so-called Hadovka complex. Here, an elementary school and the Open Gate gymnasium will be created, modeled on the same complex in Babice near Prague.
    On December 5, the building authority already approved the removal of a structure with more than 60 garages and a greenhouse, as well as the south gatehouse with a yard and gate. The decision regarding the demolition of the actual hotel was determined in a concurrently conducted process. It has now approved the demolition of the main building, the main gatehouse, the staff gatehouses, and the service entry.
    Participants in the proceedings now have a deadline for appeals, which should expire at the beginning of January. In addition to the owners of surrounding houses and properties, parties involved include the Atelier for the Environment and the OS Pro Hanspaulku. It is expected that someone among the participants will appeal.
    According to Stavěl, the company Maraflex from the PPF group will begin the demolition after obtaining a final permit. Stavěl previously stated that the demolition should be completed within six months after commencement. The building is to be cut apart with special construction machines, and the company also plans to build noise barriers.
    According to the decision of the building authority, PPF will have one year for the demolition. "Before the commencement of work, a website will be launched with information about the progress of work related to the removal of the former hotel and other buildings on the site, as well as about the owner's future plans for the land," added Stavěl. Trees on the site will remain preserved, except for three that cannot be saved.
    Hotel Praha was built in the late 1970s. Until November 1989, it served the needs of the Communist Party and the Czechoslovak government. Many therefore perceive it as a symbol of the pre-November era. At the beginning of this year, it was purchased by a new owner with the intention of demolishing it. Shortly thereafter, a group of theorists, artists, architects, and heritage protectors submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture for its designation as a cultural monument.
    However, not all experts agree with this, as architectural historian Zdeněk Lukeš stated in the press that he considers the building to be average architecture. The demolition of the hotel is also supported by some local residents, who even created a petition for its realization, Stavěl said to ČTK. According to the petition, they hope that the demolition of the building will reduce crime in the area. "We are responding to the long-term unsatisfactory current situation, where the non-functional hotel Praha building attracts many homeless individuals and people with dubious existence," the petition states.
    On the other hand, supporters of the hotel argue that the building is a unique example of architecture that stands out from the contemporary average. The artworks, decorations, and furnishings in the interiors represent an extraordinarily cohesive collection of period visual arts and design. The main architects of the building were Jaroslav Paroubek, Radko Černý, and Arnošt Navrátil; many other authors participated in the generous solution of the exterior and interior. PPF, on the other hand, points out that the building is oversized and uneconomical.