Former Prague post office converted into classrooms and school cafeteria

In Prague's Malá Strana district, a former post office building has been transformed into new classrooms and a school cafeteria. The renovation covered part of the first and second floors of the building, which now houses the Karel Herfort primary and secondary school as well as the Malá Strana Gymnasium, the Prague City Hall has announced.

The premises previously belonged to Czech Post, serving as a branch office along with its administrative spaces. Following the reconstruction, the space has taken on an entirely new purpose and now serves students and teachers on a daily basis.

"Buildings in the city change their purpose over time, and it's a good thing when a new meaning can be found for them. Where a post office once operated, there are now classrooms and a cafeteria that will serve children and students every day," said Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda.

Savings compared to new construction

According to Prague's councillor for education, sport and leisure, Antonín Klecanda, expanding capacity in Prague's schools is one of the city's long-term priorities, and this project demonstrates a sensible approach to achieving it by repurposing existing space. He noted that for 26.3 million crowns, the city gained additional teaching facilities that would have cost several times more and taken far longer to build from scratch.

The councillor added that the renovation work is not finished yet: the premises of the special school operating in the same building also need further upgrades so that conditions for teachers and children meet modern standards.

A cafeteria without noise or queues

On the ground floor, a new cafeteria with a food-serving area has been built for students of the Karel Herfort primary and secondary school. The space was completely rebuilt to accommodate a serving area equipped with catering equipment, a dining hall, and the necessary support spaces, including restrooms and technical facilities.

School principal Petra Haladová emphasized that since the institution specializes in educating children with special educational needs, the architectural and functional design of the space is of key importance for them. The new serving area was designed to eliminate the stress factors typical of ordinary cafeterias — excessive noise, long queues, and cramped conditions.

New classrooms for the gymnasium

The second floor was allocated to the Malá Strana Gymnasium, located across the street. As a result of the renovation, four specialized classrooms, a consultation room, two teachers' offices and other necessary facilities for students and staff have been created here. A direct passage from the first floor was also built, along with new restrooms and complete technical equipment.

Gymnasium principal Tomáš Ledvinka said the new spaces will expand opportunities for splitting classes and applying modern teaching methods — including multimedia-based lessons, and the study of social sciences and foreign languages. In addition, the new premises will make it possible to prepare foreign-language theatrical productions, which the gymnasium's students traditionally stage every year.

As part of the construction works, the existing windows in the renovated sections of the first and second floors were also restored, and an underground cable connection was laid between the Karel Herfort school and the Malá Strana Gymnasium buildings, linking their operational systems.

Karel Herfort's granddaughter, Daniela Nováková, was invited to the official opening ceremony. She thanked the school for bearing her grandfather's name — one of the first specialists to advocate for the care of children with special needs, at a time when such children were often treated with disdain by society.

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Source: prazskypatriot.cz