New construction rules in Prague will prohibit some high-rise projects

Prague - The Prague City Hall has a new methodology for the construction of high-rise buildings in Prague. The new rules will prevent some planned high-rise projects, such as the intention to build skyscrapers in Modřany, said councilor Martin Langmajer (ODS) today to ČTK.
    "Skyscrapers in the Modřany floodplain do not comply, we know that in advance," Langmajer stated. According to the councilor, building placement in the valley often devalues the panorama of Prague. "If you place buildings of the same height as the opposite hill in the valley, you devalue it, whereas it does not matter as much on the hill, where a new horizon is created," Langmajer explained.
    The new plan aims to prevent disputes over where high-rise buildings may be constructed and where they may not. The view from approximately 25 locations in Prague will be crucial for the assessment of the buildings, with consideration also given to the entire relief of the metropolis. The entire methodology is essentially a computer program that draws the shape of the future horizon. It will then be decisive how the building affects the view from, for example, Hradčany, the Castle, Petřín, Žižkov, or Vítkov.
    These buildings will definitely not be allowed in the historical center of Prague. "In London, construction is happening in the absolute center, but we do not want to undertake something like that due to UNESCO and also for the people of Prague," Langmajer said.
    According to the councilor, the original strict version of the methodology was ultimately softened. "The individuality of the construction is extremely significant for architecture," he added.
    In Prague, according to Langmajer, there are many places where there is no reason to build high-rise buildings. "Certainly, the prices of land and other attributes that led European or American cities to develop downtowns are not yet present here," the councilor stated. However, such construction may be purposeful near the metro, for example in Pankrác, where tens of thousands of jobs could be created with good transport accessibility.
    The study is one of the materials requested by the UNESCO committee from the Czech Republic. The committee wanted to know how the Czech state ensures that Prague does not lose the values for which it was included on the World Heritage List. Probably the biggest disputes currently revolve around constructions in Pankrác, Prague.
    The construction office of Prague 4 is now making decisions about the buildings; the company ECM wants to build two structures there, opposed by local civic associations. It is already clear that both sides are prepared to appeal the decision, so the city hall will ultimately decide. Currently, it seems that the removal of the metropolis from the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list due to the Pankrác buildings is unlikely.