New Benches on Prague's Reconstructed Jiřák Square Are Already Cracking and Fading

Just a quarter of a year after a major reconstruction was completed, the new wooden benches on Jiřího z Poděbrad Square in Prague 3 are already showing signs of wear: their dark paint is peeling, and several slats have cracked or broken off entirely. According to Petr Habáň, a spokesperson for the district town hall, the matter will be resolved with the supplier through a standard warranty claim.

The reconstruction of the square in front of the church cost more than half a billion crowns and was only finished in mid-June. Dozens of the wooden benches already look faded, and without proper wood treatment before winter, the damage could get worse.

Over 550 Million Instead of a Reasonable 300

Prague's councillor for property, Zdeněk Kovářík (ODS), compared the cost of the Jiřák reconstruction to that of another major square — Karlovo náměstí — following the city council's August meeting. He said the reconstruction of Karlovo náměstí should come in at around 300 million crowns, which he called a reasonable figure. By contrast, the project on Jiřího z Poděbrad Square, which had been in the works for two decades, ended up costing more than 550 million crowns — a figure the councillor called "absolutely unacceptable," adding that he had no way to influence it by that point.

A Desire Path Defies the Right Angles

Beyond the benches, residents have also been irritated by a worn dirt path cutting straight across the lawn from the metro station's elevator exit. On social media, users have sharply criticized the pathway design, which was laid out exclusively at right angles. One Facebook user wrote that the emergence of these makeshift shortcuts was entirely predictable back when the "absurd" rectangular path plan was first reviewed.

Young people interviewed at the square confirmed that the new paths look nice, but the right angles are impractical and force pedestrians to take a detour. The district town hall isn't too concerned about the complaints. According to spokesperson Habáň, these kinds of informal "shortcut" paths near metro exits tend to appear fairly often. He noted that the square has only been open for a few weeks following a two-year reconstruction, and that over the winter, the district town hall — together with the architects from the MCA studio who designed the project, as well as heritage preservation specialists — will assess how people actually use the new space in daily life. Based on those findings, targeted adjustments to the paving may follow.

The square in Prague 3 has already drawn criticism several times since reopening: first over the installation of large red benches costing hundreds of thousands of crowns, then over the controversial design of a metro ventilation shaft, which sparked debate among both the public and experts. The latest flashpoint in the ongoing discussion over the fate of this public space is a Netflix advertising booth, which can reportedly occupy the square for eleven days for just under seven thousand crowns.

Read also: Prague metro: map and tickets

Source: novinky.cz