From the functionalist Barrandov terraces, a hotel will be built

Prague - From the Barrandov Terraces, a well-known interwar recreational establishment in Prague, a hotel will be built. The functionalist building from 1928 by architect Max Urban will start being renovated this June to July after many years. The renovation is being initiated by Liberec entrepreneur Michalis Dzikos, who specializes in the restoration of architectural monuments from the First Republic and has reconstructed, for example, the Mandelík Villa near Kolín into the Chateau Kotěra hotel.

Dzikos has owned the premises through the company Barrandovské terasy a.s. since 2001 and has announced the start of reconstruction several times. He has had a building permit for the project from the Brno studio Kuba and Pilař since 2011, the project dates back to 2004. In addition to the renovation and reopening of the historic restaurant facility, a new arch-shaped two-story hotel will be built in close proximity. The originally planned conference center with underground garages is no longer mentioned by the investor. The ruined Trilobit bar will not be restored.

"The apartment-type hotel will probably be built in the last phase," said Dzikos's assistant Jana Gillárová to Dotyk. According to her, the old building will remain accessible to the public, including the once-famous French restaurant. She refused to disclose how much the renovation and completion will cost to the weekly magazine. According to earlier speculations from Dzikos's former collaborator Jaromír Hrdlička, the investment is estimated to be between 200 to 500 million korunas.

The project will be implemented in a modified form. Changes will relate to the facades and details, possibly also reducing the planned 160 beds, but not the layout or height. The head of the National Heritage Institute's regional expert workplace, Ondřej Šefců, finds it difficult, according to Dotyk, to reconcile with the irreversible future development of the outdoor part of the terraces. "On the other hand, it's a fact that it probably wasn't realistic to repair just the restaurant facility itself; several investors backed out. For us, it's important that the building, which is a cultural monument, will be preserved, although it comes at the cost of an extension in the surrounding area," said Šefců to the weekly magazine.

According to the weekly, excavators are currently working on the premises, and the land has received new fencing. The historic fence around the outdoor terraces has been dismantled and tall lampposts removed. The historic building with the lookout tower has been exposed and made accessible to construction equipment. About a month ago, the newspaper Metro reported the commencement of preparatory works.

Under the new hotel building, overgrown ruins of a diving tower will probably still stand for some time, as a common solution for the once interconnected areas of the terraces and the pool among the rocks below the terraces has not been found. The pool has not been operational since the 1950s. The land beneath the rock belongs to Dagmar Havlová, the wife of Ivan Havel, the brother of former president Václav Havel.

In the 30s and 40s of the last century, the terraces were a popular party spot for movie stars during the week, while on Sundays, crowds of Praguers would arrive. After 1948, the terraces were nationalized, the pool was closed, and investment in the restaurant ceased. In 1992, the state returned the terrace premises to the descendants of founder Václav Maria Havel, brothers Václav and Ivan Havl. Entrepreneur Dzikos reportedly acquired a stake in the Barrandovské terasy joint-stock company in 2001 from the president's wife Dagmar for a quarter million korunas. Last fall, Dzikos became the sole shareholder of the company.

The terraces used to be located in a quiet place with a beautiful view. Today, this location is surrounded by the busy Strakonická street with an expressway to Plzeň and a railway line.