The reconstructed Žižkov Tower will open new restaurants in August

Prague - A luxurious mini-hotel, three new restaurants, and a sightseeing observatory with a multimedia program await guests at the reconstructed Žižkov transmitter in Prague. The tallest building in Prague is expected to be fully open to the public in August. By autumn, the private investor plans to build an outdoor beer bar at the foot of the transmitter; the park with a playground, mini-golf, and an amphitheater should be completed by spring next year. The annual reconstruction has so far cost approximately 50 million crowns. The building is currently undergoing final inspection.
    "All the extra walls were removed on each floor. This will enhance the 360-degree view from all rooms. The extra catacombs have disappeared," said Roman Lain from the Tower Park Prague company, which last year obtained the tower on a long-term lease.
    Visitors to the Czech capital primarily use the viewing observatory on the eighth floor. From a height of 93 meters, it is possible to observe Prague and its surroundings from three reconstructed viewing platforms. "We will try to educate and entertain people here," Lain stated. One of the platforms will be filled with transparent hanging chairs, known as bubble chairs, where visitors can listen to the sounds of the metropolis. "You will hear the Vltava river, the astronomical clock, passing metro, and similar sounds, so clients will experience something different from before," Lain explained. On the walls of the central part of the observatory, people will see a time-lapse documentary about the construction of the lookout tower, which was built from 1985 to 1992 according to the design of architect Václav Aulický and structural engineer Jiří Kozák.
    Compared to past years, the transmitter will have two new restaurants and one lunch bar that emerged from the former kitchen. The facilities for the chefs have moved to the sixth floor, where a one-room hotel has been added. "There will be a luxurious apartment, let’s say six-star, which will be designed for exceptional situations, such as weddings," Lain mentioned. The apartment can be converted into a conference room or a ceremonial hall. "We want to specialize in weddings. We will be able to organize the ceremony, the reception in the restaurant, and the evening wedding celebration in the observatory," Lain said. A luxury room will cost between 20,000 and 30,000 crowns per night.
    The visual aspects of the restaurants and lookouts were taken care of by architects from the SAD studio. The ceiling of the interior is designed to evoke a lunar landscape. In the outlets of "lunar volcanoes", lighting, air conditioning, and speakers are integrated.
    While the interiors underwent a fundamental transformation, the external futuristic appearance of the transmitter will remain. Likewise, the black babies by sculptor David Černý, which have adorned the transmitter since 2000, will also remain. The investor will preserve the nighttime lighting of the tower.
    The reconstruction of the building began last autumn. Even during the renovation, the facility was not completely closed; tourists could access the viewing platforms. Repairs will continue until next spring when the park and surroundings of the transmitter should be completed.
    According to some foreign websites, the tower is among the ugliest buildings in the world. "We will utilize this advertising positively. It doesn’t matter if something is the ugliest or the prettiest. What matters is that it is a top one," Lain believes.