The Czech Republic’s tallest skyscraper reflects a city’s changing identity | Concrete Ideas

Czech architects CHYBIK + KRISTOF (CHK) have unveiled their plans for building the country’s tallest skyscraper in the northeastern city of Ostrava.

Spanning 56 floors over a height of 235 metres, the X-shaped glass tower, located in the centre of Czech Republic’s third largest city, will include cultural and entertainment amenities, as well as office and residential spaces. Situated at the foot of a bridge, and connected to a bus terminal, the building will open up to a new public square that is part of the development. Other spaces open to the general public include a panoramic rooftop with a cafe, restaurant, bar, and garden. The building will also host a hotel on its premises.

Scheduled to be finished by 2027, CHK say the tower will help “the rehabilitation and reactivation of the post-industrial town of Ostrava”. According to the architects, the skyscraper reflects the changing identity of Ostrava: once an industrial hub, the city of approximately one million people no longer relies on manufacturing but more on service and information industries. As a result, several of its formerly industrial spaces have been repurposed, including a new concert hall by Steven Holl Architects, museums, university campuses, galleries, and residential projects.