CAMP Bids Farewell to the “Prague Cubes” Ahead of Three-Year Renovation

With a major exhibition and a diverse accompanying programme, Prague’s CAMP is temporarily bidding farewell to its current location. This will be followed by the comprehensive modernisation of the listed building complex.

The Centre for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning (CAMP) and the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague) are facing a major transition. After several years in the distinctive building complex in Emauzy, a comprehensive renovation of the site is now set to begin. At the end of June, the area will become a construction site, with works expected to last around three years.

Before construction begins, the “Stavba povolena” (“Planning Permission Granted”) programme will run throughout June. Visitors can take part in recycling workshops or view various art installations. A total of 15 artists, including Vladimir 518, TIMO, Lenka Tyrpeklová and Krištof Kintera, have created a joint exhibition for the occasion. The programme will culminate on 25 June with a large closing party featuring live music and light installations. CAMP will then close its doors at its current location for several years. CAMP’s temporary new home will be established in a former shipyard workshop in Karlín.

The inventory of the interior furnishings is already under way. Part of the equipment will be relocated to IPR’s temporary headquarters in Holešovice. Furniture and equipment not required there will first be offered to municipal institutions and non-profit organisations before later being made available to the public. These include tables, cabinets, refrigerators and sofas.

Foto: CAMP: Praha

According to IPR Director Ondřej Boháč, the renovation will follow the principles of the circular economy. Rather than simply demolishing interior spaces, building components and furnishings will be carefully dismantled to maximise their reuse. It is the first circular building renovation project of its kind to be implemented by a public contracting authority.

The work is based on a preliminary audit conducted by the Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT). The audit examines which materials, such as steel, concrete, bricks and glass, can be recycled or reused. Individual components will therefore be gradually removed, sorted and prepared for future use.

Return to Karel Prager’s Original Vision

The original plans by architects Karel Prager and Jiří Kadeřábek envisioned not only modern office and exhibition spaces, but also publicly accessible terraces and a greater opening of the site to the public.

The listed modernist building complex has never undergone a comprehensive renovation since its completion in 1975. Today, it no longer meets current requirements for energy efficiency, fire safety, technical infrastructure and hygiene standards. As part of the renovation, the building envelope will be completely renewed and the technical systems modernised. At the same time, architecturally valuable original elements such as wall cladding, flooring, lighting fixtures and door handles will be preserved.

Construction work is expected to take approximately three years. Costs are estimated at around CZK 1.4 billion, with the majority of the funding being provided by the City of Prague.



CAMP: Centrum Architektury a Městského Plánování
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