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Summary for: Trampled by tourists: Grassy square by Prague's Dancing House to be pavedPrague plans to redesign Jiráskovo náměstí beside the Dancing House, replacing part of its repeatedly damaged lawn with paving and restoring a fountain that no longer works.
The project has an estimated cost of CZK 34.7 million excluding VAT. On Oct. 5, city councilors approved entering the investment into the municipality’s planning systems.
The changes would reshape a small public space next to one of Prague’s most photographed buildings, adding seating while addressing damage caused by visitors stepping onto the grass. Councilor Adam Zábranský, of the Pirate Party, said the city would like to carry out the work within the next two years.
Paving planned where replacement grass fails
The redesign will draw on a study prepared in 2022. According to the document approved by councilors, the monument to Czech novelist and playwright Alois Jirásek would move toward the center of the grassy area.
The fountain would be repaired but remain in its current location. A raised curb around the lawn would also provide somewhere to sit.
Part of the currently grassy space around the fountain would be paved because tourists repeatedly damage it while taking photographs with the Dancing House in the background.
“Even though new grass is regularly planted there, it never lasts,” Zábranský told ČTK.
The proposal would therefore retain a lawn while replacing some of the surface most affected by visitors. For people using the square, the most noticeable changes would be the restored water feature, additional seating and a different arrangement of the monument and surrounding space.
A landmark setting in its anniversary year
The plans come as the Dancing House marks 30 years since it opened. The building began trial operations on June 20, 1996, and entered regular operation that October.
Jiráskovo náměstí also commemorates a figure with a direct connection to the neighborhood. According to Prague’s official account of the square’s history, Jirásek lived and worked in a nearby building overlooking the square and Resslova Street. The square received its current name in 1947, and his monument was installed in 1960.
For residents and visitors, the two-year window remains a target rather than a confirmed construction schedule. The reported approval concerns investment planning; the supplied announcement does not specify a start date or any restrictions on access during the work.
