Čeština
Prague Toll Booths on Legion Bridge Shine Like New – 26 September 2011
PRAGUE – Two toll booths on Prague’s Legion Bridge were officially unveiled last week after three years of restoration. The remaining two booths will be unveiled in October due to construction work near the National Theatre.
“The toll booths have undergone a complete restoration, which they thoroughly deserved. Among other problems, they still had bullet holes dating back to the Second World War,” said Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda, who attended the unveiling ceremony.
“The bridge and the toll booths were built during the Czech National Revival, when stone in the colours of the national tricolour was deliberately used in their construction. These colours can now be seen on the newly restored booths,” the mayor added.
The restoration was funded by advertising revenue from Veolia Voda. The company had previously funded the restoration of the Šítkov Water Tower near Mánes.
“We are delighted to have contributed to the restoration of these beautiful towers and to making Prague more beautiful,” said Petr Mrkos of Veolia Voda.
Restoration Delayed by Vandals
Restoration of the toll booths began in April 2009, with completion originally scheduled for July 2010. Unfortunately, in February of that year, the nearly completed toll booths were targeted by vandals.
Copper roofing, including decorative elements and gutters, was stolen from all four booths. Most of the historic wooden roof structures were also damaged, extending the restoration period.
The restoration work was carried out by academic sculptor Antonín Kašpar, Pavel Filip and Petr Werich.
Source: Lidovky.cz