In 2017, the demolition of the original house on the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova Street aroused great emotions. The house dates from 1880 and was built according to the design of the architect Josef Schulz, who, among other things, is also found on the National Museum. In 1920, the house was significantly rebuilt and instead of the distinctly fragmented facade, the house got a much more moderate one, that is, the one that the people of Prague knew before the house was demolished.

A lot of water passed from the purchase to the construction

Developer Flow East bought the house back in 1994 and since then basically fought for the demolition of the house. He argued that due to a series of redevelopments, it was not appropriate to continue to develop the property “In the end, the opinion prevailed that a good building would be replaced by quality architecture,” the investor said in his statement. “Based on expert assessments, it was found that the house has already been repaired many times, and therefore it cannot be further burdened with a new reconstruction.”

The intention of a new building in the center of Prague has caused conflicting opinions for years, even President Václav Havel once opposed the demolition. In 2010, Prague preservationists gave the house approval. A year later, it was also confirmed by the Ministry of Culture in the appeal process. In 2013, the building authority allowed the demolition, but the municipality overturned this decision and had to be reassessed. A petition was written against the demolition, and demonstrations were again held against the demolition of the housepart of the professional public felt that no new valuable architecture would be created on the site.

An internationally acclaimed building

But the opposite is true. Flow building wins one prestigious award after another. The last time it happened one of the three European buildings that was awarded the prestigious CREDAward award, which is awarded annually in China. The Flow Building was awarded the title of “Merit”, placing it among the top 7% of CREDAward first round participants. Most of this year’s winning projects are located in China, so the success of The Flow Building is just another proof that really high-quality architecture was created on Wenceslas Square

“We are excited about the award – all the more so because we are succeeded in the CREDAward evaluation as one of the few nominated foreign projects,” said James Woolf, CEO and Founder of Flow East. “The Flow Building’s design influences the dynamism and liveliness of Prague itself. For us, the recognition is further proof that this is an exceptionally impressive building.”

In addition to the high degree of sustainability of the entire building, expert juries also appreciate the Flow Building a high level of daylight in all areas, parking spaces with charging stations, but also facilities for cyclists, which are offered by local bike shops. The automatic shading of the external glass facade or the internal protection against UV radiation enable significantly better working conditions.

The CREDAwards “Merit” rating is the latest addition to the list of awards The Flow Building has received since its inception. Her other prestigious awards include, for example, the title Commercial project of 2021 from the Estate Awards competition, the titles of Best Office Project and Overall Winner of the HOF Awards or the title of Best Retail Project in the CIJ Awards Czech Republic 2021.