Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Construction firm GEMO a.s. has finished a major phase of work on the expansion and modernization of the Westfield Černý Most shopping center in Prague. The project, carried out while the center remained open between 2024 and 2025, adds roughly 9,100 m² of new leasable space, 32 new shops and food units, and three newly built cinema auditoriums. GEMO acted as the general contractor for the project, which involved constructing a new extension and linking it to the existing building.
The works included deep foundations for the new sections, reinforcement of parts of the existing structure, complete construction of the new areas, and various modifications to the current building. The contractor also installed new facade and roof cladding and carried out extensive adjustments to technical systems as required during the construction phases.
A notable part of the project was the effort to reuse structural elements and technologies where feasible. Some equipment, such as escalators, was refurbished and incorporated into the updated design, while elements no longer meeting current safety or fire standards—such as sections of the glass façade—were replaced with systems offering higher fire resistance and improved acoustic performance. The resulting façade and technical upgrades aim to improve comfort for users and reduce the building’s energy demand.
According to GEMO project manager Martin Koudelka, keeping the shopping center fully operational during construction required extensive organizational planning. Work was divided into phases, with night shifts and tightly coordinated deliveries used to limit disruption. Temporary fire-safety and smoke-control solutions were implemented as required. New sections were approved and handed over to the investor in stages, resulting in more than 15 separate approval procedures.
The expansion incorporated measures intended to lower material and operational impacts. These included the use of low-carbon concrete with documented environmental product declarations, consistent waste sorting and recycling, and a focus on long-life materials and reduced operating costs. The project has been designed to meet BREEAM New Construction certification at the Excellent level.
The architectural design was prepared by the London studio Benoy. Construction management was handled by RUBY Project Management, design and supervision by Obermeyer Helika a.s., and the investor is Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield through Centrum Černý Most s.r.o.
