Českomoravská Nemovitostní has become the new owner of the Crystal Building, a prominent landmark of the Prague district of Vinohrady, acquiring the property from the CFH. The transaction is worth more than a CZK 1 billion.

Prague, Czech Republic, June 11, 2019 – Crystal is a unique building in the Vinohradská street, Prague, located not far from the Vinohradská Palace. The 60-metre-tall structure has 14 above-ground floors and four underground floors with a rentable space of 14,978 sq. m., including storage premises and 121 parking places. The building houses about 1,000 employees. This building is visible from each corner of Prague.

The current tenants include the Zdravotní pojišťovna ministerstva vnitra České republiky (Interior Ministry’s of the Czech Republic Insurance Company), Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna České republiky (General Insurance Company of the Czech Republic), GES GROUP FINANCE and ČESKÁ LÉKÁRNA HOLDING.

“In 2018, we purchased buildings worth hundreds of millions of Czech crowns. This year, we’d like to focus on premium buildings and top office buildings in Prague – and Crystal is one of these. It is a unique property thanks to both its architecture and the location in the heart of the Vinohrady district, oozing a unique genius loci,” says Radek Stacha, Chairman of the Board of Českomoravská Nemovitostní holding.

The most striking feature of the building is its crystal-like shape and chessboard façade, where windows take turns with offset aluminium panels. Designed by Atelier 15 architects led by Libor Hrdoušek and Radek Lampa, the building looks like a large and a small crystal blended together.

Experiments with different shapes of high-rising constructions in the country go back well before 1940. The motivation was to break free from historicist styles, to embrace new architectural concepts as well as to satisfy the demands of businesses. Its diagonal line has always been a common way to break the regularity of a square-shaped building. The original façade of Crystal has been consulted with UNESCO representatives but has received controversial response anyway.

A distinctive trend in contemporary construction is sustainability. The demands placed on modern construction are not limited to energy efficiency but include also the social and environmental aspects. Important is everything that has an impact on the building’s users and the environment, including the raw materials used, as well as the risks related to the final disposal of the building. The BREEAM certificate is a simple way to show that the building meets all the contemporary requirements.

“Taking into account our portfolio, we look for office buildings that meet the contemporary construction standards, including all the required green certifications – and Crystal has the BREEAM certification. This British certificate reflects European design standards, which are based on a holistic approach to construction,” said Radek Stacha.