In the Prague Botanical Garden, the construction of a pavilion costing 100 million CZK is starting

Prague - The new exhibition pavilion in the southern part of the botanical garden in Prague's Troja should be completed by spring 2023. The two new buildings will include amenities for visitors and garden staff, a multifunctional hall, and a souvenir shop. The company OHL ŽS will start construction on the buildings in mid-July, with preparatory work having begun at the end of June. This was announced today by the garden's spokesperson Michaela Bičíková. The founder of the Troja Botanical Garden is the capital city.

"The exhibition pavilion and operational facility are designed to not stand out too prominently or disruptively within the surrounding exhibits. Natural materials will be used here, and overall, the building is conceived more as a backdrop for the dominant climbing greenery," said Václav Jůzko, head of the botanical garden's construction department.

The pavilion, designed by architects from the AND studio, will be located on Nádvorní Street. A pergola will connect the exhibition and operational building. In the buildings, which will have some glass walls, there will be a visitor center and technical facilities for garden staff. A souvenir shop and plant specialties from the botanical garden are also planned. The central space in the exhibition pavilion will be a multifunctional hall intended for exhibitions, lectures, and educational events, the spokesperson added.

According to the contract between the company OHL ŽS, which won the tender, and the botanical garden, the construction should cost 99.95 million crowns. The estimated value of the public contract was 95 million crowns excluding VAT, according to documents published in the public procurement bulletin.

Due to the pavilion's construction, the ticket office and entrance to the garden located on Nádvorní Street have been relocated. They are now at the end of this street, closer to the vineyard of Saint Klára.

A new entrance to the northern part of the area from K Pazderkám Street is also being prepared in the garden. Once completed, it should serve as the main entrance to the garden. According to a previous statement by Prague Deputy Mayor Petr Hlubuček (STAN), the building is expected to have very low energy consumption and should include a café, a restaurant, a lecture hall, and a subtropical greenhouse. It is estimated to cost around 300 million crowns and could begin in 2023.

According to Bičíková, a bridge is also expected to start construction this year, which will connect the part of the botanical garden around the Fata Morgana greenhouse with other parts of the garden area. Visitors will no longer have to leave the garden to visit the greenhouse as was necessary until now. Currently, the construction of a water supply line is being completed, which will allow for the use of water from the Vltava River for irrigating plants in the garden.

The botanical garden of the capital city was established in 1969. It has been open year-round since August 1992 and is a subsidized organization of the capital city. In the 1990s, it took over the management of the Vineyard of Saint Klára. The tropical greenhouse Fata Morgana was opened more than 15 years ago.