The restoration of the U Brabců inn in Prague 9 will cost 72 million crowns

Prague – The modifications of the house in Starý Prosek, known as the U Brabců inn, will cost Prague 9 72 million crowns. Compared to the originally planned reconstruction of the building from 1837, it was necessary to demolish part of the building and rebuild it. The restaurant with a cultural hall may open to the public in September. This was reported today by the mayor of the ninth district, Tomáš Portlík (ODS).

"The appearance of the building, which is one of the icons of the Starý Prosek square, has changed over time, and as the owners of the building changed, so did its function. For a while, it was a post office, for a while, it was a cinema. It was also a community center, and this is what the architect returned to in his design. He emphasized the function of the place as a space for gatherings. The vision was and is that besides being an inn, it will also be a place for culture," said the mayor of Prague 9.

The interior architect Jan Bouček thus designed the main hall so that it would be easy to transform the restaurant operations into an audience or dance floor. According to the deputy mayor of Prague 9, Adam Vážanský (ODS), concerts, dance parties, and, if the restaurant operations allow, even theatrical performances could take place in the inn's spaces in the future. Seating will also be provided in the gallery on both sides of the hall, which should also improve the acoustics in the hall. According to the designs, traditional elements should be connected with modern ones in the interior spaces. The external appearance of the building was designed by Ivan Drobný based on the original design.

The neglected building, designated for demolition, was acquired by the Vysočany municipal office in 2017 in exchange for land in Krocínka. The private owner, the company Prosek 2, planned to build an apartment building on the site. Local residents opposed the plan at that time, with over 2000 people signing a petition for the preservation of the inn according to the ProProsek initiative. According to a tender announced in 2019, the costs for the reconstruction of the building were supposed to be a maximum of 50 million crowns. However, due to unsatisfactory building statics, it was necessary to demolish part of it and largely rebuild the building according to its original form.

The municipal office is now looking for an operator for the U Brabců inn. According to Portlík, Prague 9 would like the guest areas to open in September, preferably on the occasion of the St. Wenceslas Pilgrimage.

Old Prosek is a set of buildings originally of a rural character, dominated by the Church of St. Wenceslas, the adjacent rectory, and a cemetery with a Baroque bell tower. The inn building was built in 1837 and belonged to Václav and Aloisie Brabcovy until November 1960. In December 1960, the building passed into state ownership. Since the second half of the 1980s, it has served as a warehouse for the company Barvy a laky.