KKCG Real Estate presents BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM

KKCG Real Estate Group (KKCG REG) has presented a new building complex, BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM, where the first shops will open tomorrow. The office and shopping complex consists of four irregular glass crystals, creating a vibrant local centre directly above the Bořislavka metro station and underlining the importance of the city's Evropská radial route. The modern architecture is significantly complemented by works by contemporary Czech artists. Also the KKCG group’s companies owned by the entrepreneur Karel Komárek will move into the new offices in June.

After almost thirty years, Prague 6 has managed to resolve, in architectural terms, the complicated plot of land where Evropská, Liberijská and Kladenská streets intersect. The investor, KKCG REG, purchased the land in 2012 and subsequently launched an international architectural design competition. The winning design was prepared by Aulík Fišer Architekti (AFA). The main authors of the design are Jan Aulík and Leoš Horák.

"We pride ourselves on the high quality of all our structures. The “Crystals” at Bořislavka is our biggest project to date and we are very proud of it. It is a valuable contemporary architecture that complements this part of Prague 6 in the urban-development terms. It pleasantly develops civic amenities and offers great working and commercial premises. The unique works of art represent for me the perfect finishing touch to the project," said Petr Pujman, CEO of KKCG REG. In his opinion, the construction itself, worth more than CZK 3.5 billion, took three years and was managed directly by the investor's team in cooperation with the construction-management company, Ruby Project Management.

"Although the Covid-19 pandemic hampered some of our works, I am happy that we have been able to get the building approved on April 30, 2021. We will also meet the original plan and bring the entire complex into full operation this year," added Pujman. The most important contractors that took part in the construction include RUBY PM, Sipral, Metrostav, Feri, Sollus Nábytek, Living 77, Zakládání staveb, Instalace Praha, Kamenictví Jež, Deba Bohemia, Brněnské Izolace, PBW, Novecon.

Last year, BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM won the Best International Office Development 2019/2020 award that is presented within the International Property Awards competition.

"The path to the new shopping centre at Bořislavka was difficult, so I am glad that now a new future begins for this place in our city borough. We welcome the fact that the new centre will expand the civic amenities in the locality which is what local residents as well as those who live in the broader neighbourhood have been asking for. I believe that the range of modern shops, restaurants and services that will open here thanks to this building will complement the existing offer for residents. In combination with the new office space, this centre will give Bořislavka and its neighbourhood a whole new energy," said Ondřej Kolář, Mayor of Prague 6.

"We have followed up on the development of urban schemes for the modern city which we have been focusing on for a long time. Our aim is to find a new form of the urban block development that would be able to evoke the qualities of public space of a historic city, meet the demands placed on the internal environment of the buildings and allow for individual architectural form," explained architect Jan Aulík, one of the founders of AFA. In accordance with the investor's instructions, his team created a structure of irregular natural shapes, crystals, on the building plot which gradually and smoothly passes into a park in the eastern part. The geometry of a crystal corresponds to the internal layout and function of the building. The chosen form allows to respond to completely different environments and profile grades of the surrounding streets, while offering unique views of Prague. Although the nature of BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM is that of an urban block development, it is permeable for the public and naturally interconnects Kladenská and Evropská streets. "The objective of our work was not only the aesthetics of individual buildings and the rationality of their internal layout but, above all, the environment around and between them. The permeable block concept offers a range of public spaces of different nature, largely sunlit and protected from the traffic of Evropská street," added Aulík.

A story in itself of BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM is fine art that complements the complex. "The fact that the investor of the building, Karel Komárek, and his wife Štěpánka are wise and knowledgeable people plays a huge role here," commented Petr Pujman. One of the artworks "tailor-made for the premises" is, for example, a glass sculpture called "Iceberg" which illuminates the entrance lobby. It is the largest work made by the Lasvit company in the Czech Republic and one of its largest in the world. Its author is Lasvit's art director, Maxim Velčovský. "It was a huge challenge for us because we were working with a vast space and a unique technology," pointed out Velčovský. In his opinion, the design respects and emphasises the architectural intent which does not end with the design of the building but is an integration of artistic and design disciplines so that all aspects and elements of the building work in harmony with each other. "It is great that in the case of Bořislavka, the architects are addressing the building as a whole: the look of the interiors, details, public spaces as well as the flowers and greenery in the building," said Velčovský.

The entrance lobby is freshened up by an epiphyte consisting of 76 acacia wood poles which are planted with four thousand green and flowering plants. The creator of this unconventionally conceived garden is the architect Zdeněk Sendler together with the architects who designed the building. He created similar islands of vegetation also on the upper floors of some of the buildings. The artworks have one common idea: we try to bring new approaches, to look for original solutions. And this is not just Lasvit's Iceberg, but, for example, a sculpture that is currently being created in Federico Díaz's workshop.

The sculpture, called "Up the Mountain", evokes an old path that once led through the place, and is being made by a special robotic arm. The work by the Czech-Argentine artist will be completed on the piazzetta between the third and fourth crystals in the autumn. The entrance to the buildings from Evropská street is enlivened by another work, "The Planet", by Jan Aulík, Leoš Horák, David Zalabák and Pavel Filip. The interiors will be complemented by works by Pavel Roučka, Jan Poupě, František Hodonský, Milan Houser and Jan Kovařík.

The buildings were unveiled today and will comprise nearly 30,000m2 of offices, while more than 60 retail units will use approximately 10,000m2 of the shopping area. There are also 580 parking spaces underground, where electric charging stations are a matter of course. For office tenants, there is a bike room available including sanitary facilities.

The crystals of the buildings form a new social and business centre of the Prague 6 borough and, at the same time, they will become a new headquarters for companies, belonging to the KKCG group owned by the entrepreneur Karel Komárek. Employees of KKCG, KKCG REG, Sazka, SAZKA Group, MND, KKCG Technologies and others will be moving here in the near future. In the autumn, employees of Škofin (Volkswagen Financial Services), Pražská vodohospodářská společnost (Prague water management company), IGT Czech Republic and MM&C are expected to move here.

In order to meet the great interest of local residents, we are opening the first part of the shopping passage on June 4, 2021. From tomorrow, the following shops: Lidl, DM Drogerie, Knihy Dobrovský, Sazka, a branch of Komerční banka, AKM stationery, Tescoma, Fortuna, Deluxe Flowers, Grand Optical, Exchange, Valmont (tobacco shop) and The Miners café will be open.