Visitors could join us in exploring abandoned and dilapidated buildings that have been coming back to life lately.
A good starting point was the Prague Marketplace, the former premises of Prague’s central slaughterhouse, built 125 years ago. It wasn’t until last year that a long-time feud between the city of Prague and the company that had been administrating the premises finally came to an end. Now the protected area is expected to be reconstructed and become a place with a variety of shops and services. Visitors could take a look at the studies and plans that suggest how the Prague Marketplace might look in a few years. On Sunday, visitors could even take a peek inside the Jatka78 theater.
In July, a decision has been made about the next fate of the Desfours Palace in New Town that has been dilapidating for years. The city is now supposed to turn the palace over to the City of Prague Museum’s administration. This half-forgotten architectural gem was especially the interest of urban exploration fans.
The Karlín Barracks located nearby used to be the biggest and most modern army building in Prague. In 2017, the state (owner of the barracks) rented out the dilapidated premises to Pražské centrum (Prague Center) society which has revived not only the inner space but also the court outside. A new tenant of the premises has been selected recently, so the next story of the barracks is a mystery for now…
The next stop took us to Žižkov, specifically to an inconspicuous historic building of the former public house called New Krenovka. The house is part of an important group of protected buildings that give evidence of the origins and development of railway transportation that started in Prague in the middle of the 19th century. With a new owner the building will soon become a multicultural center. The accompanying program during the festival at this building was provided by Unijazz ensemble and Ponec theater, both of which are expected to find a new home here in the future.
Then we continued towards Orionka, a tram depot that represents the oldest of its kind built by today’s Prague Public Transit Company. In recent years, the premises of the former tram depot have been mostly unused. As a consequence, the capital city of Prague has decided that it would take control over the premises and find a new purpose for it.
A reconstruction of the Nusle Brewery, whose origins can be traced back to the end of the 17th century, is expected to start soon. Aside from the renovation of the protected beer factory from the Baroque period, a new residential area is expected to be built in the northern part of the premises.
At the end of our journey, we found ourselves in the former industrial premises in Vysočany from the period of the First Czechoslovak Republic where the legendary Praga cars used to be made. Since 2006, a progressive artistic and media quarter – Pragovka Art District – has been growing there. It serves as a working environment for art studios, creative businesses, and galleries, as well as a place for many social and gastronomic events.