The Žižkov TV Tower has been towering over the metropolis for 20 years

Prague - The futuristically designed transmitter that emerged 20 years ago in Prague's Žižkov has been an unmistakable landmark of the capital city since its opening on February 17, 1992. The construction by architect Václav Aulický has evoked differing reactions from the start - some admire the slender shapes of the 216-meter-tall tower, while others consider the transmitter an unforgivable intrusion into Prague's skyline.
Over the years, however, the residents of Prague have more or less gotten used to the silhouette of the "rocket ready for launch", and today, fiberglass infants by artist David Černý climb the tower, with no one contemplating its demolition.
The decision to build a new telecommunications center in Mahlerovy sady was made at the end of the 1970s. The reason was the unsatisfactory technical condition of the original television transmitter at the Petřín lookout tower. Construction began at the end of 1985.