Facade and windows

The renovation of our school’s facade and windows, a huge investment project the preparation of which took several years, has just started. The carefully prepared and coordinated construction work should result not only in a shiny new look but should significantly improve the quality of the internal environment in both winter and summer, including significant energy savings thanks to the installation of functional, properly sealed windows. The supplier, selected in accordance with Act No. 134/2016 Sb., to regulate public procurement, is Chládek & Tintěra, a.s.

What exactly is going to happen and what does it mean?  

Energy savings: Most windows will be replaced by replicas that are more energy efficient
(the scope of the renovation was determined by the permit issued by the state body in charge of the protection of historical monuments). 

Maintenance of a cultural monument: Some windows and doors of the building envelope that cannot be replaced due to the rules of the preservation of historical monuments will be repaired. 

Protection of a cultural monument: The facade, including the stonework and sheet metalwork, will be renovated according to the original architectural plans. Dry ice blasting will be used to remove the non-original layer from the existing coating and the historical facade will be repaired by unifying all the surface layers. The surface and waterproofing of the main terrace will be repaired, as well as the light wells around the whole building. 

Security: The structure of the pillar at the front of the Faculty will be stabilised and the staircase will undergo reconstruction.

Schedule of the renovation

The renovation of the facade and windows will be divided into several phases, with the first one being launched in April 2025, when the scaffolding will be built. The administrative completion of the renovation – which means the definite completion – is expected in June 2027. 

Frequently Asked Questions

The renovation is a huge and exacting project in terms of the administration as well as the coordination of the construction work and the academic year. This is why a list of the most frequently asked questions is provided. Knowing that this list  cannot be exhaustive, there is a form available for any additional enquires you might have. We will add the most frequent ones to the FAQ as the renovation progresses. 

Yes, a presentation was given on Tuesday 1 April 2025 and a recording will be available here.

The supplier provides a schedule for the construction work no later than 3 months in advance, so the schedule for the individual rooms will be modified accordingly as needed in coordination with the Student Registry and the Operations Department. It is always necessary, however, to take into account the element of uncertainty, meaning that the schedule may be changed later according to the actual progress of the construction work.  

Every effort will be made to teach as many classes as possible in person but it cannot be excluded that some classes will have to be held online in this situation. 

The supplier is aware that all noisy activities must be kept to the necessary minimum during the examination period. However, if the construction work were to be halted also while classes are being taught, the repairs would never be completed in time and this would affect the funding of the project. 

The Study Club Celetná, located at Celetná 20, Praha 1, is open to all students, academics, researchers, and other employees of Charles University for study and the organisation of educational events. Other locations that might be made available are under discussion.

The renovation aims to restore the original appearance of the building. The additional facade layer (“brizolit”) will be removed. Also, all sheet metalwork and ironwork will be repaired or replaced. Stone surfaces will be cleaned, highlighting the original natural appearance of the stonework. The windows will be enlarged and some of them will be replaced by replicas of the existing windows. 

Samples of the final colour of the facade will be taken during the course of the renovation by the Department for the Protection of Historical Monuments of the Metropolitan Authority of the Capital City of Prague and the National Heritage Institute, which have the final say in terms of the appearance and colour of the building.

The operation of the canteen will be limited only to a certain extent, in particular visually, because a temporary partition wall will need to be built so that the canteen can stay open during the renovation. 

No, the accessibility of the building for students with disabilities is not expected to be restricted. 

The replacement of the windows in the library is coordinated so that one half of the library will always be open. However, the weekend opening hours of the library may be limited for a certain period of time, which has not yet been specified.

Up-to-date information will always be available in different forms: 

  • The basic platform for providing up-to-date information is this section of the website dedicated to the renovation of the facade and windows within the Revitalisation Project of the Building of the Faculty of Law of Charles University – Faculty 2.0, which you can access by clicking on the links available on the website, intranet, and socials of the Faculty and the Faculty 2.0 project. 
  • A list of the current changes and restrictions will be available on a board in the foyer of the building, including a QR code with a link to this website. 

The same information will also be published on the Faculty socials and Instagram Faculty 2.0.

Up-to-date information regarding the renovation of the facade and windows will continue to be provided in the form of minutes of the meetings of the Dean’s Board and the channels mentioned in the previous point. Teachers and employees who will be directly affected in a given period will be notified of the dates of the construction work in their offices by the Operations Department in advance. 

In addition to the renovation of the facade and windows, other smaller revitalisation projects are planned at around the same time (but mostly in the summer months), in particular the following: 

– Reconstruction of classrooms 23 and 220 (from the Development of Infrastructure for Doctoral Programmes of Study project) – planned for 2025; 

– Reconstruction of the floor in the fitness gym (from the ERDF Call for HEIs – Quality project) – planned for 2025; 

– Reconstruction of the partitions in the Student Registry to enable access to persons with specific needs (from the ERDF Call for HEIs – Students with SNs project) – planned for 2025; 

– Reconstruction of classrooms 101, 103, and 300 (from the ERDF Call for HEIs – Quality project) – planned for 2026; 

– Replacement of the lighting in all classrooms (from the ERDF Call for HEIs – Quality project) – planned for 2026; 

– Installation of silence booths (from the ERDF Call for HEIs – Students with SNs project) – planned for 2026.