Charles Square Center

This building is located on historic Charles Square, one of the oldest and largest public spaces in Prague. The developer’s goal was to provide a state-of-the-art, American-style office building in the historic city center. The eight-story building was constructed above an existing metro station and includes 15,300 square meters of Class A office space, 5,700 square meters of retail, and below-grade parking for 150 cars.

Prague is a city that is uniquely conscious of its history, and the opportunity to construct a new building there is rare, as the demolition of existing buildings is seldom permitted. The site for this building was bombed during WWII and had not been built upon since. The primary challenge was to design a contemporary office building that fulfilled today’s business requirements for flexibility and technology, while respecting Prague’s historic architectural context. The massing of the building recognizes the street wall and cornice lines of adjacent buildings. Fritted glass and embossed aluminum curtain wall panels provide the facade with a sense of scale and detail that complements the architectural traditions of Prague.

The first two floors are occupied by retail tenants that benefit from a skylit atrium and foot traffic from the metro station below. The atrium is reminiscent of the traditional Prague courtyard building, as the hard-edged street wall gives way to an interior moment of light and air. The typical office floor plates provide planning efficiencies and state-of-the-art building systems that are rare within the historic city core.