In the twenty years since the devastating floods, Prague’s Karlín has changed significantly, with new construction attracting businesses, shops and services and changing the composition of the population.
Marek Vácha, spokesman for the city’s Institute of Planning and Development, said the biggest construction boom has been in the area around the Vltava River, where another major development is planned and the city also wants to build a large park.
Karlín Industriale was transformed into an office area
Originally industrial and working-class, Karlín has been transformed since the floods into a district of offices and luxury apartments. Some houses had to be demolished after the floods, many were evicted and the original tenants never returned.
This, together with the new constructions, accelerated the transformation of the neighborhood and brought about a change in the social composition of the residents. Housing prices in Karlín are now at the level of Prague’s most desirable neighborhoods such as Vinohrady, Letná or Dejvice.
Since the time of the floods, a number of large office buildings have been erected along Rohanský nábřeží, and housing developers have also taken advantage of this opportunity.
“The biggest development is in the Rohanský ostrov area,” said Vácha. He added that the still largely unused riverside area will see further development in the coming years, which will include the creation of a flood park and the restoration of the blind arm of the Vltava, which will form part of the flood defences. . Last year, Sekyra Group started building a new neighborhood of thousands of apartments on Rohanský ostrov.
The transformation has its fans and critics
A number of former industrial buildings have been put to new use, for example, the Forum Karlín cultural scene started operating in 2014 on the site of the ČKD Dukla hall.
This trend started before the floods when the Corso Karlín office building was created in 2001 by reconstructing a factory hall. The floods also damaged the historic Karlín Music Theater building, which reopened in 2006 after reconstruction.
Karlin Barracks yard is also used for culture, but is still looking for permanent use. According to the latest information, the city should take them from the state and apartments can be built there.
Another still unused historical monument in Karlin is the extensive Invalidovna complex, which was recently taken over by the National Heritage Institute and is being reconstructed. Prague 8 rebuilt Karlín Square in 2015, and the municipality is now completing the construction of a new footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists that will connect Karlín to Holešovice via Štvanice Island.
The neighborhood’s transformation over the past 20 years has its critics, who say it is an example of so-called gentrification, that is, the displacement of old residents by a new, more affluent social class.
