The roof of the Prague Lucerna will permanently open to the public

Prague - The spaces of the Lucerna Roof will symbolically open to the public on May 19, 110 years after the completion of the first part of the multifunctional building. This includes a new exhibition entitled How Lucerna Elevated the Urban Character of Prague, which discusses the Havl family and their construction of Lucerna. Visitors will be able to visit the roof space every Sunday and Monday from 3:00 PM until dusk until the end of October. This was announced to journalists today by café owner Ondřej Kobza, who has rented the spaces.

"Just as the Havls elevated the character of Prague, we would like to elevate it as well," said the exhibition's author, journalist Krystyna Wanatowiczová, who has long been interested in the Havl family and the history of Lucerna. She wrote a biography about the uncle of the first Czech president Václav Havel, Miloš Havel, and is preparing another book about Lucerna. "This is basically a framework for the upcoming book; I drew from my memories, various archives, and sources," Wanatowiczová told ČTK. The permanent exhibition, which tells the story of the Havl entrepreneurial family, particularly about the builder of the Lucerna Palace Václav Havel, the grandfather of President Havel, can be viewed on 15 cylinders that previously served as timetables at the train station.

"I am very glad to stand in a place where I have experienced so many beautiful moments," noted composer Jiří Suchý. He also reminisced about the nine concerts by musician Louis Armstrong that he and Jiří Šlitr co-hosted, as well as the doorman Mr. Liling, whose name always appeared on Lucerna posters. "I hope that the Roof of Lucerna will become a place where people will go," said Václav Havel’s brother, Ivan Havel. His wife Dagmar Havlová, the owner of Lucerna, has been gradually reconstructing the building for some time and is preparing further repairs. On Vodickova Street, she plans to have a new facade made, and she has approved an increase in the roof height for a new attic extension on the buildings in the courtyard. "Both renovations will cost in total tens of millions of crowns," Havlová told ČTK.

In addition to the exhibition, interested parties can attend accompanying programs including lectures and workshops on so-called urban farming or city gardening. They can also learn about the history of Lucerna or practice yoga. Another goal is to improve the microclimate in the Green Roof project through urban farming. "We have prepared a concept of five gardens in the form of plants in large pots - a party garden, a bird garden, a bee garden, a butterfly garden, and a medicinal garden. These are designed to attract insects and birds," noted landscape architect Martina Imramová.