The glass hell is disappearing, the largest unauthorized building has been in shambles for 25 years

In Pilsen today, excavators and cranes began demolishing the main seven-story building of the former Carimex car showroom on Rokycanská třída on the main road from Prague. It is the largest modern unapproved construction in the city, which burdened Pilsen for almost a quarter of a century, the locals nicknamed it “glass hell”. For years, the unfinished building was dilapidated and inhabited by homeless people and squatters. Adjacent buildings were razed to the ground in the past few days and the area around the building has been cleaned. Commercial, residential and office spaces will be created on the area after the car show, Ivan Hlaváček, CEO of the Czech-Bavarian development group InterCora sro Plzeň, which will build commercial units there, said today.

“By demolishing, we are fulfilling the request of the city, which we expect to sell us the land it owns in the locality. People often say that everything is better than the status quo, but our goals are definitely bigger. We want the area to come alive and become a cultured and pleasant space corresponding to the 21st century, because this is the policy of the InterCora company, which has been on the market for thirty years,” says company executive Ivan Hlaváček.

The adjacent Carimex buildings were demolished in the past days. On Tuesday, the demolition of the main building started. Demolition work should end on May 25 at the latest.

“This is a symbolic moment. We are witnessing the end of the era of the nineties and protracted lawsuits that burdened the entire city, and especially its citizens. I thank the investor for keeping his word. Now it is the turn of the city of Pilsen. I want the city council to approve an amendment to property relations and the purchase of municipal land as soon as possible after the demolition, which will open the site to planned construction,” said Mayor Roman Zarzycký.

The Carimex complex began to emerge at the end of the nineties, but part of the building was built without a building permit. Only InterCora, spol. sro, RP Letná as and MS Letná as, which bought the area from the original owner. In May 2022, they concluded a settlement and cooperation agreement with the city. Its content is precisely the demolition of the building and the sale of part of the land owned by the city. A complex of buildings with apartments and office and business premises will be created in the area. Of the existing buildings, the gas station will remain on the site.