Cigler Marani Architects (CMA) may have only been around since 2001, but it has already established a pretty solid reputation around Central and Eastern Europe. In addition to designing the prestigious, award-winning Luxembourg Plaza in Vinohrady and the large-scale business and technology center in Chodov, CMA was also tapped to design the new headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and several ongoing projects in Slovakia and Bulgaria.

Zdeňková notes that CMA has a "proven track record." It's a sentiment that is echoed again and again by developers across Europe. Sometimes it's easy to forget that this firm has only been around for five short years.

Marani, a Boston native and graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology, moved to Prague from Berlin in 2000. He took a job at CMC architects, working alongside Jakub Cigler. Soon after joining the firm, the two men, who had become fast friends, decided to leave and open up their own firm.

The risk paid off.

CMA, which celebrated its fifth birthday Nov. 1, has tripled in size since it first opened. The firm now employs 45 associates, most of whom are Czech or Slovak, with the exception of two Germans. CMA prefers employing young college graduates, Marani says.

"Our philosophy is to hire young people right out of college. That way we can train them to think the way we do," he laughs.

Marani attributes his firm's success in part to his Western design style and business sense and Cigler's contacts.

"I think our clients like the way we work," Marani says. "When we did the Luxembourg Plaza, we completed the project in time and were under budget. This is why our clients want to work with us again."

Zdeňková can attest to that.

"We had a great experience working with them on the Luxembourg Plaza," she notes. "We liked their design proposal and have a good relationship with them." It was that good working relationship that helped land CMA the RFE/RL contract. Orco is overseeing the project, which broke ground in late October.

The new RFE/RL building was perhaps one of CMA's most challenging projects to date.

"It was difficult to design because of the high level of security that needed to be put in place," Marani explains. "We had to overcome the challenge of designing a building that wasn't only safe but also had a pleasant working environment. We tried to make it not look like a fortress."

Due to security concerns, neither Cigler nor Marani will go into detail about the specifics of the project, which is being funded by the United States. The glass-windowed building is scheduled to be completed in 2008.

In the meantime, CMA is hard at work on a number of other big-scale projects, including a 200 million Kč ($9.6 million) redesign of Wenceslas Square. Hired by the city, Marani and Cigler are looking to reduce the amount of traffic on the square and double the width of the sidewalks. Part of the redesign also calls for putting the expressway underground so that the National Museum will be directly connected with the square.

Realization of phase one is expected to begin in three to four years, with the entire project completed by 2012.

On a more personal note, Marani said he's like to see the Parliament building disappear altogether so that there would be more direct access between the National Museum and the State Opera, providing a nice, clear-cut cultural spot in the city center. Unfortunately, that idea has recently been nixed, according to a city spokesperson.

CMA's excellent reputation has earned the firm contracts abroad.

"I had seen some of the projects undertaken by CMA including The Park in Prague and felt [it] could offer the type and quality of design that I was looking for," says Julian Edwards, general manager for Tishman Management Company, which hired CMA to design the Sofia Airport Center, one of the largest real estate projects in Bulgaria.

"I feel that CMA has a good reputation for providing innovative design solutions and ancillary services," Edwards says, adding that he would certainly hire the Prague-based firm again.

The firm's two projects in Bratislava include Digital Park and The Port, which consists of a luxury mall with offices and residential areas. In Bulgaria, CMA is working to design a business park.

By all accounts, this has been a great year for CMA. Its profit margin keeps growing as work continues to flow in. Marani, for one, is quite pleased. He has no plans to leave Prague anytime soon and is happy that his company is flourishing.

"I am settled here," is Marani's simple explanation. "My wife is Czech and we have a young son. I am happy here."