Extensive renovations of the Wenceslas Square in Prague approved

After twelve years of delays, approval has finally been granted for the renovation of the Wenceslas square by the Jakub Cígler Architect Firm. The bid of this office won the square design competition organized by the city of Prague as early as 2005, but the roots of the renovation run deeper, originating in the days that Václav Havel served as president of the Czech Republic (1998- 2002). This is, of course, excellent news, for those seeking to invest in real estate in the area.

The Wenceslas square was constructed in the mid-14th century and originally served as a horse market. This square witnessed many historical events, such as the declaration of Czech Independence in 1918, the Soviet invasion of 1968, the key shaking during the velvet revolution of 1989, and so on. 

The city hall Facebook announcement stated “Finally! The debate over the shape of the square is over. The sidewalks on the square will be expanded and it will be greener, with no trams and less cars”. Jakub Cígler also blessed the approval in an interview to the Mladá fronta Dnes newspaper: “The approval of the plan proves that something is happening and changing in Prague.” 

The issues delaying the approval included concerns regarding the preservation of the appearance of the square, concern regarding the types of trees and security concern, such as whether the security cameras in the site would be blocked by the renovations. A yet unresolved issue is the hotdog stands in the square and their fate has yet to be decided- redesign or expulsion. 

In the framework of the renovation, the sidewalk in the square will be expanded by 25% to 17 meters at the expense of 70 parking spaces, which will leave only 20 parking spaces at the square. Furthermore, by the Koruna palace, an additional row of trees will be planted and plane trees will be added to the current lime trees. 

The approved plan does not include a tram, in spite of the ongoing discussions regarding the reconstruction of the tramlines in the square. These tramlines passed through the square until the movement of trams through the square was brought to a halt in 1980. 

The mayor of Prague, Adriana Krnáčová, wrote in Facebook, that the approval is good news indeed: “This is a significant step and the renovation of the Wenceslas square is closer than ever. The square requires renovation and its delay by 12 years was due to unwillingness to follow through. Now we are at a point where this is an absolute necessity. We still need to wait for a building permit but we can theoretically begin to perform a number of preparatory operations right now.” 

She further says that a building permit can be granted rapidly and her hope is that the renovations will begin next year. She added that she thought that the square does not currently fulfill its intended role as the center of Prague’s life. Oldřich Lomecký , the chief of Prague District 1, also blessed the decision. In an interview to the Mladá fronta Dnes newspaper, he expressed his hopes that the renovation of the square will bring back to life its past greatness. 

The date of the initiation of the renovation work remains unknown but as a result of the renovation real estate prices in the area are expected to rise. If you considered making an investment in the historic center of the City of Prague, this is the time and this is the place. Contact us.