The construction of the Open Gate school in the area of the Hotel Praha is likely to be delayed

Prague - The construction of the private school Open Gate Prague in the lower part of the area where the former Hotel Praha stood in Dejvice is likely to be delayed. CTK was informed by the school's spokesperson Jitka Tkadlecová. The investor, which is the PPF group of the richest Czech Petr Kellner, is still processing the necessary permits. According to the spokesperson for Prague 6, Martin Churavý, the architect's office has issued a favorable opinion on the project, and the municipal construction department is now in the phase prior to issuing land-use decisions. Hotel Praha was demolished two years ago.

The building will be constructed on Evropská street, where there were dilapidated garages. It is expected to have three above-ground and two underground floors and will provide spaces not only for an elementary school, gymnasium, school kitchen, and cafeteria, but also for a library with a multifunctional hall or workshops for art disciplines.

Construction was supposed to start in January 2017, with completion expected in June 2018. These deadlines are likely to be missed. "The project of the planned construction of the Open Gate school in Prague is likely to fall behind schedule due to the lengthy processing of the necessary permits. The further construction schedule will depend on the timeline for obtaining all permits," Tkadlecová said.

The dominant feature from the pre-November era - Hotel Praha - disappeared from the Dejvice horizon in June 2014. The hotel complex was acquired by PPF a year earlier. The demolition was permitted by the building office of Prague 6, and the demolition began in January 2014. Views among laypeople and professionals on the demolition of the hotel varied. Some architects opposed the demolition, calling the hotel a unique building. Others argued that it was an average architecture. PPF stated that the building was oversized and uneconomical.

Hotel Praha was built in the late 1970s. Until November 1989, it served the needs of the Communist Party and the Czechoslovak government. Many thus viewed it as a symbol of the pre-November era.