Palác Dunaj: revitalising a Constructivist landmark for a new generation

Chapman Taylor has completed the transformation of Palác Dunaj, a landmark Constructivist building on Národní Street in the heart of Prague, creating a contemporary, sustainable workplace while preserving the distinctive architectural character of the historic building.

Originally designed by architect Adolf Foehr and constructed between 1928 and 1930, Palác Dunaj is an important part of Prague’s architectural heritage. Working for Zeitgeist Asset Management, Chapman Taylor has undertaken a comprehensive reconstruction that carefully balances conservation with the requirements of a modern commercial building.

The 8,800m² development now provides approximately 6,800m² of high-quality office accommodation and 2,000m² of retail space, bringing new life and activity to this prominent location in the city centre.

Balancing heritage and contemporary intervention

Central to the design approach was retaining the qualities that give Palác Dunaj its identity while making carefully considered interventions to secure its long-term future.

A new floor has been added to the building providing 700m2 of executive office space, alongside an extensive rooftop terrace offering panoramic views across Prague. Below ground, 23 new parking spaces have been created – a significant technical achievement given the constraints of working within an existing historic structure.

The interventions have been sensitively integrated into the original architecture, allowing the building to evolve without compromising its heritage character.

Creating a high-performance workplace

The transformation extends beyond the building’s visible architecture. Its technical systems have been completely replaced and modernised, substantially improving operational performance and creating comfortable, efficient and adaptable working environments.

Contemporary technology, flexible workplace space, and improved environmental performance combine with the distinctive character of the original building, responding to changing occupier expectations around comfort, flexibility, and wellbeing.

The project demonstrates how investment in existing commercial buildings can protect their architectural significance while repositioning them to remain attractive, efficient and commercially relevant for decades to come.

Sustainability through adaptive reuse

Sustainability has been an integral part of the transformation. Restoring and adapting the existing building extends the useful life of a significant piece of Prague’s built heritage while retaining the majority of the existing structure in place reduces the embodied energy compared to new-build.

Palác Dunaj has achieved LEED Gold for Core & Shell under LEED v4 and WELL Gold certification, recognising both its environmental performance and the emphasis placed on the health, comfort and wellbeing of its users.

Through the combination of adaptive reuse, technical modernisation and sensitive architectural intervention, Palác Dunaj provides an example of how historic commercial buildings can successfully respond to contemporary environmental and workplace expectations.

The result is a revitalised Prague landmark that respects its past while providing a sustainable, high-quality workplace for a new generation.