The building in blog park has looked like a derelict old building since I’ve lived in this neighborhood, so 8 years at least. I think it was a hospital, or something like that during the Hapsburg empire.
Although this city has many old churches, cathedrals and castles that date back several centuries, the vast majority of the buildings which give this city its reputation for spectacular architecture, which draw tourists here by the millions are from the 19th century.
This particular building, I think, was used in making the movie “Hellboy,” which I just saw recently for the first time. Good flick.
Anyway, it officially belongs to the Czech Military, which means it doesn’t really have much use at all. They keep their archives there, apparently, but how much space can that take, with everything on disc nowadays. There are rumors that it’s going to be a part of Charles University, and that would be an incredible improvement in the neighborhood.
Recently, the façade has been repainted. Although the back 3 sides are still crumbling brick and tangled weeds, a la haunted mansion, the front looks great.
Just across the street from the park there’s a modern development of office blocks. It looks nice, but should have been finished and rented out 9 months ago. One building has a few offices rented out, but another is empty, and the rest are still at the hole in the ground stage. Maybe it’s the economic crisis, maybe this city has reached it’s saturation point, grown too big too fast.
A little further on, just past the Metro, is a seriously ugly building. I’ve always wished they would just tear it down, but it falls under historical preservation rules, because it’s a unique example of a specific architectural style, which I believe is called socialist-cubist-buttuglyism. It’s been a magnet for drunks and homeless people as long as I’ve known it, but now they are renovating it as luxury apartments.
Our neighborhood is changing. I think overall it’s for the better, but I’m not 100% sure.
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