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November 23rd, 2008
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A royal makeover

Prague Castle undergoing an extensive renovation

By Curtis M. Wong
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
June 18th, 2008 issue

KURT VINION/THE PRAGUE POST
Prague Castle's Royal Palace is set to undergo a major refurbishment this year to both its interior and exterior.
When asked to name the Czech Republic’s most iconic landmark, both natives and tourists would likely point to Prague Castle. Perched above the hilly western bank of the Vltava River, the castle is the picturesque birthplace of both past and present day Prague. With that in mind, a total of 50 Czech-based real estate firms have a unique challenge ahead of them for 2008. This year, the majestic town-within-a-town will be undergoing a series of extensive renovations that will leave the fabled castle looking more polished and regal than ever before.
Officials say they expect this renovation project to be more all-embracing than ever. Up for refurbishment in 2008 is the Royal Palace (Královsky palác), which will undergo both an exterior and interior overhaul this year. Also due for an upgrade are segments of the castle’s centerpiece, St. Vitus Cathedral, as well as the exterior and interior of the Church of All Saints, Parléř’s stairway, the Na Baště garden arcades and the Jiřská street area. While officials are weary of providing exact numbers, they estimate the total cost of this year’s renovations to be in the range of 300 million ($19 million) to 400 million Kč .
“These types of renovations go on every year,” says David Šebek, spokesman for Prague Castle Administration. “We try to plan ahead, but sometimes we decide for an immediate renovation. The aim of this year’s renovations is not to convert these spaces into new tourist attractions but to improve the current condition of these buildings.”
While this year’s renovations are very extensive, officials say the castle requires constant upkeep annually, which is not unlike most of the city’s historical attractions. The goal, they say, is simply to maintain the castle’s longstanding reputation as a one-of-a-kind experience for both native and foreign tourists in the Czech Republic.
According to Šebek, the renovations aren’t expected to drastically impact tourist traffic throughout the castle complex. Segments of walkways, including Jiřská street, will be narrowed, Šebek says, and some areas of the Royal Palace will be temporarily off-limits to tourists.
All current renovations are expected to be completed in several phases, as restricting tourist access to some areas of the castle would be detrimental, Šebek says. Most of the ongoing renovations are expected to be completed by the end of 2008, he notes.
Officials say that each of the 50 real estate firms involved were selected based on prior experience with other historical buildings in the Czech Republic and other areas in Europe. The selection process is made slightly more complicated in that each firm is chosen based on a different area of architectural expertise.
“The maintenance of the castle is one of the main tasks of Prague Castle Administration,” Šebek says. Obviously, a real estate firm’s experience in this area “is one of the critical conditions for entering our selection procedure.”
Of course, when tapped by castle authorities, most real estate officials say they jumped at the chance to tackle the historic project, with many calling it a “unique honor.”
“[We] definitely enjoy the charm of that place, the touch of history and the feeling that we are helping to fix a building [that] plays an important role in Czech history,” says Martin Repper, owner of Parlet s.r.o. which is focusing on the roof renovations. “I find this work with Prague Castle very prestigious.”
Repper does admit, however, that being behind the scenes gives him a new perspective on the historic location. But, with an established portfolio that includes various churches as well as the Czech Ministry of Education, it’s a feeling he says he’s familiar with.  
For Bohumil Pánek, owner of Stonemasonry and Restoration in Říčany, the project held special personal relevance as well. His family has been involved with work on the castle since 1673, when they helped build the fortification as well as parts of St. Vitus Cathedral. This year, the company will start by renovating segments of the cathedral, with the Church of All Saints and the Old Royal Palace to follow suit shortly afterward.
“My family has been involved with this work for several centuries,” Pánek says. “So I decided to enter the bids and continue in this tradition. Another reason is that I am personally a big fan of Gothic architecture.”  
 
— Hela Balinová and Naďa Černá contributed to this report.

Curtis M. Wong can be reached at cwong@praguepost.com


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