From old buildings renovated into luxury condos to multipurpose business and shopping centers, Prague 3, where Zižkov is located, is experiencing something of a building boom. The cornerstone of this transformation will be the new residential complex Central Park Praha, scheduled to open next summer.

The sprawling 180-apartment structure, which will include a spa, a swimming pool, cycling and jogging paths, tennis and squash courts and a golf driving range, will stand in what is now an empty field adjacent to Park Parukářka near Nakladové Nádraží Zižkov, an old freight train station. The first phase alone will cost around 800 million Kč ($31.61 million). Eventually, as many as 600 new flats could be built on the property.

CPP Development Managing Director Milan Gánik, the visionary behind the project, says he hopes the housing complex will become a new model for a planned urban community. "I was inspired by the time when I lived in New York near Central Park and saw what a wonderful, relatively small community existed in the area," he says. "People knew one another. Their kids played together in the park. I realized that something similar is missing here [in Prague]."

The project has strong support from the Prague 3 magistrate. Marek Zeman, the deputy mayor for Prague 3, says he hopes Central Park Praha will help revitalize the eastern part of Zižkov. "This area was neglected for many years, and we want this to change — that's why this project means a lot to us," he says. "We always welcome investors who want to create something new and positive in this neighborhood."

Zeman anticipates that the new housing complex will have a positive impact beyond new housing: "This project isn't bringing in just money but also new employment opportunities and new residents," he says.

Innovative architecture

So who will those new residents be? Boris Redčenkov of Atelier 69, the architectural firm that created the Central Park Praha project, says he and his associates designed the complex with a diverse population in mind. "We would like to see a lot of families with children," he says.

Still, at up to 60,000 Kč per square meter (10.76 square feet), the apartments will remain beyond the reach of many people. "We expect a lot of managers and other urban professionals to move into the area," says Gánik.

Another criterion for moving in may be an apprection for bold, innovative architecture. The horseshoe-shaped complex will feature a combination of slanted walls covered with vegetation, and 14-story towers with big windows and balconies.

"The main inspiration for this project was the place, the dissonance between the natural and manmade elements," says Redčenkov, explaining how the green slanted walls will be an optical continuation of Parukářka Hill. The greenery, moreover, should muffle some of the noise from the nearby streets.

Does this complex point to a larger trend of ecologically sensitive buildings? Not necessarily, says Redčenkov, but he notes that when the residential real estate market becomes saturated, the demand for more original architecture goes up. And this area especially could do with bolder, more creative architecture, he says.

Towering concerns

Not everyone is happy about the construction in this part of town. The most vocal opponents are the members of Klub za Starou Prahu, a civic organization whose aim is to preserve the historic face of Prague. "It's a good project in the wrong place," says Richard Biegel, the executive head of Klub za Starou Prahu.

Martin Krise, an architect and vice chairman of Klub, concurs. "Really, the only problem we have with this project is the height of the buildings," he says, pointing to a photograph of Prague's skyline. According to Krise, the 14-story towers that will make up part of the Central Park Praha complex are going be visible from some parts of historic Prague, spoiling the view.

When it comes to developing this part of Zižkov, however, Krise doesn't see a problem. "I don't think that the new building complex will have any negative effect on its immediate surroundings," he says. "It really doesn't matter to me what the buildings will look like." He points out that Zižkov isn't an unusual historic neighborhood and that there are many like it in Prague. "We're looking at this project within the context of the entire city," he explains.

Biegel, a Zižkov native, doesn't quite agree. He points out that most of the tallest buildings in the area don't exceed seven stories, meaning that the highest parts of the new complex will be twice as tall as the surrounding structures. If Biegel had his way, the empty space near Nákladové Nádraží would become a park.

The immediate area where the new buildings will stand has been underused and neglected for years. Aside from a sprinkling of prewar villas perched on the slope near Parukářka, most of the existing nearby structures are sloppily constructed communist-era office buildings and panelaks. In other words, the area isn't pretty.

Zeman likens the stretch of space between Olšanské náměstí and Nákladové nádraží to a ghost town. "When people leave the offices in the evening, the place becomes deserted," he says. That's why Zeman hopes that Central Park Praha will help spark a rejuvenation in this part of town. He cites Berlin, where a new neighborhood was created in place of the Berlin Wall, as an example of what successful urban revitalization should look like.