The original cafeteria building that stood on the site of the future Biocentrum had to be demolished before the main construction work could begin. During the construction of the Albertov Campus, it is therefore necessary to provide meals for students and CU employees who come to this existing cafeteria for lunch.

Two options were considered:

• using the catering facilities in the vicinity of the Albertov Campus

• building an own temporary facility in the Albertov area

After evaluating all the pros and cons of both variants, it was decided in the favor of building of the temporary canteen, with the location being on the grounds of the Convent of the Elizabeth Sisters, specifically in their garden adjacent to the existing canteen. This ensures that the existing walking distance to the canteen remains the same.

It was planned that this temporary canteen would be used from the beginning of the 2023 school year up until the new permanent canteen will be opened as part of the completed Albertov Campus.

The temporary canteen takes a form of a single-storey building consisting of several interconnected cells. This solution is both very economical and flexible to adjustments. Moreover, the actual construction is simple and fast without major demands for the site preparation. The outdoor public space has been designed to be accessible for people with limited mobility, including wheelchair users, and for those with reduced orientation abilities.

Construction work on the temporary cafeteria began in August 2022, and according to the planned schedule, the cafeteria opened on February 27, 2023. It is now fully serving the needs of CU students and employees, as well as the general public.

Timeline:

• 5 December 2019 - merged zoning and building permit for the temporary canteen came into force

• 15 September 2020 - public contract for the construction for the tempory canteen was announced

• August 2022 - beginning of contruction works

• 27 February 2023 - temporary canteen building open for students, employees and the public to use