Reconstruction of the northern wing of the Fanta building

The subject of the construction was the extensive rehabilitation of a part of the northern wing of the Fantova building, a historic part of the Main Train Station in Prague. The client's brief was to restore the original character of the reception areas of this wing while equipping it so that it could host large social and cultural events.
The designers and contractors had to deal with a challenging task. Under strict supervision from representatives of heritage protection, they had to equip the building with all contemporary technologies while complying with current norms and regulations.
After processing and evaluating detailed technical, construction-historical, and numerous restoration surveys, a radical cleaning of the spaces from all later modifications and installations was undertaken, along with the construction of spaces for extensive technical support. This required significant static interventions, often atypical, in the supporting structures of the building, including the removal of non-original installed ceilings.
New functions and contemporary technologies were then minimally integrated into the restored original volumes. The original Art Nouveau character of the building was then restored from fragments of preserved artistic crafts elements. This part included the design and sampling of all artistic crafts elements, wall paintings, stucco decorations, joinery, locksmithing, and tinsmithing elements, all in cooperation with restorers and heritage protection workers. The design and sampling were carried out in detail, including the design of period chandeliers, wall clocks, wooden cladding, ceramic tiles, etc.
In addition to the expected discoveries of paintings, an unexpected find also appeared: a large gilded, polychrome emblem of the Czechoslovak Republic with the motto "Truth Prevails," which was sensitively restored and incorporated into the final design.

Technical Information:
The project of the first phase sensitively addresses the reconstruction of the interiors of the 1st basement, 1st floor, and mezzanine of the northern part of the historic Fantova building. The solution also included the outdoor space in front of the northern side of the building ("courtyard") intended for the placement of a technological object. As part of the reconstruction work, part of the technology (air conditioning + cooling) was also placed in the attic space of the addressed part of the historic building. In this phase, the original historical appearance was restored to the Corridor, Café, Grand Hall, and Column Hall, VIP lounge, and preparations were made for the placement of a commercial/leasing unit in the basement of the building. The technology installed in this phase also covers the capacity preparation for the subsequent phase of reconstruction.
In some areas, relatively extensive static interventions in the supporting structures of the building were made, which required designing atypical/unusual solutions. During the implementation, elements of special foundation design were made to secure the retaining wall against the tracks or the thoroughfare, stabilization of existing foundations, and new foundation structures for subsequently installed structures were executed. To free up the layout in the 1st basement, large openings were made in the existing supporting structures, which had to be secured with steel framed structures. From a structural point of view, it is worth mentioning the rehabilitation of Klein's ceilings, technological channels connecting the technological object in the courtyard with the existing historic building, and the placement of building services technologies in the attic space (i.e., in the roof structure above the addressed halls). The placement of technologies in the attic space and the technological object in the courtyard saved valuable areas for public use in the interior. The result is that the technologies are hidden from the average visitor, and there was also a significant enhancement of the space in front of the northern façade of the historic building.
In terms of comfort, all halls, the VIP lounge, and the corridor are forcefully ventilated, cooled, and heated using a combination of historical heating bodies and underfloor heating. The halls are also equipped with audio-video technology and ambient lighting to meet the needs of a wide spectrum of diverse uses. All public spaces are equipped with induction loops.
This phase follows the already completed renewal of the envelope and precedes the subsequent second phase, which restores the remaining parts of the historic building.