During the reconstruction of the former printing house, part of its facade disappears

Prague - The former printing house on Opletalova Street ceased to be an abandoned building a few days ago and reconstruction has begun. This morning, workers were dismantling the roof structure and started to remove part of the façade. The building has been declared a cultural monument, and the preservation of the façade was a condition for the renovation. However, the owner may demolish about a quarter of the façade with permission from the conservationists.
    "The decision to renovate the building dates back to the 1990s, with the condition of preserving the building's façade," said Jan Kněžínek, the director of the conservation department of the Prague City Hall, to ČTK today. "In all opinions from the conservationists, a strip of the façade is permitted to be demolished; this is happening in accordance with the demolition order and the consent of the conservationists," said a representative of the company owning the building to ČTK today. "We would never dare to act against the conservationists' consent," she added. In the courtyard, terraced construction will take place, and the building is set to connect with the passageway, creating office spaces inside.
    The owner of the building is Verdi Development, which, according to the online commercial register, is owned by the Prague Hotel Jalta. Verdi Development also shares the same address with the well-known Prague hotel.
    The object has been listed in the register of immovable cultural monuments since 2002 as the Prague Joint-Stock Printing House. According to the annual report of the then State Institute for the Preservation of Monuments (now the National Heritage Institute) for 2002, the building is an architecturally and culturally significant site. The administrative building with the printing house has medieval origins, was significantly remodeled in the Classicist style, and was further adapted in the spirit of geometric secession in 1911, according to a design by Václav Havel.
    The factory building of the printing house in the courtyard dates to 1919 and is built in the spirit of Constructivism. According to experts, the building continues the medieval development of the New Town and also represents significant modern architecture with many preserved interior details. The building also includes an important industrial structure of a historically significant printing house. The editorial office of Národní listy, where the writer Karel Čapek worked for many years as an editor, was located in this building.
    The building right by Wenceslas Square has been abandoned for years. It was last active in 2000 when it hosted a weekend cultural event "Kostka ledu" offering meetings of professional and amateur musicians, dancers, theater artists, and other performers.