Neratovice to have the world’s first church built using 3D printing

Neratovice, October 1, 2026 – Construction of the new Holy Trinity Church and Cardinal Josef Beran Community Centre is breaking new ground in modern construction. Neratovice is becoming home to the world’s first church in which innovative concrete 3D-printing technology will be used on an unprecedented scale. In addition to the tower and the rectory, the main nave of the church will also be printed. Hundreds of unique 3D-printed components will be produced in total. The main contractor is the international construction group HSF System, part of the PURPOSIA Group investment holding company. The project investor is the Neratovice Community Centre Foundation. The architectural design is by Zdeněk Fránek. In May 2026, the church construction site was visited by Czech President Petr Pavel together with Archbishop of Prague Stanislav Přibyl. 

The church’s first basement level, including the foundations and part of the tower structure, has now been completed. The ceiling above this level and the foundations for the future rectory are also finished. The basement will include the main community hall with its own entrance and facilities. “We are delighted and proud that the church in Neratovice will be the first building of its kind in the world to be constructed using innovative concrete 3D-printing technology. The underground section has already taken shape, and we can now begin building the parts that will define the character of the whole site from the outside. We are now entering the stage when the church will begin to rise quickly before our eyes, and we are very much looking forward to it,” says Peter Kováč, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Neratovice Community Centre Foundation and administrator of the Neratovice parish. 

From below ground to above: work begins on the main nave

Above ground, the main nave of the church will begin to take shape, with both its outer and inner shells produced using 3D printing. “For us, the key point is that 3D-printing technology can turn the architectural design into a real building without forcing us to simplify its organic forms. With conventional construction, walls curved in this way would require a large amount of bespoke formwork, including its manufacture, installation and subsequent removal. Here, we can prepare the geometry directly in a digital model and use it to produce the individual components,” says Tomáš Kosa, CEO of the HSF System construction group.

The structure of the main nave will be made up of precisely manufactured components that will serve as accurate formwork elements and permanent formwork. They will then be connected with reinforcement and supplemented with reinforced-concrete ribs and ring beams. Space for thermal insulation will be left between the individual shells. The inner surface of the printed components will create the characteristic wall texture and help improve the interior acoustics. “Each of the approximately 870 elements will have a precisely defined position in the structure. These are therefore not identical mass-produced blocks, but a set of original components created for a specific position in the building. Their accuracy will be particularly important when the curved walls are gradually joined and connected at the higher levels of the structure,” adds Martin Janoušek, Site Manager at the HSF System construction group. 

Three different approaches to the technology will be used on site

HSF System is implementing the technology in cooperation with its subsidiary Coral Construction Technologies, which has developed its own solution for concrete 3D printing. By modifying the material’s properties with additives, it can process the concrete so that it meets both the requirements of the printing process and those of the specific structure. The Neratovice project will use concrete 3D printing in several technologically distinct modes.

“For the main nave, we will produce individual precision components that will then be installed in the structure. For the tower, the printed blocks will be completely filled with concrete once they have been positioned. This difference relates to the tower’s future use. Its outer face will serve as a publicly accessible climbing wall, so the structure needs sufficient mass and strength to anchor the climbing elements. A third method will be used for the rectory. It will be created directly on the construction site using our construction robot, which will print the structure in real time,” explains Tomáš Vránek, CEO of Coral Construction Technologies.

The use of 3D printing is closely linked to the church’s architectural design. Zdeněk Fránek designed the building as a distinctive organic structure with vaulted ovals, flowing transitions and curved lines. Before construction began, a full-scale 1:1 test section of these structurally complex curved walls was therefore produced directly on site. It confirmed the feasibility and stability of the proposed structural system. The test section will remain in place after the building is completed as a reminder of the technology used in its construction. 

A place for worship, culture and community life

The new centre will expand the facilities available to the local parish, which serves thirteen municipalities. The concept is designed so that the complex will not be a closed space intended solely for worship. It will include club rooms, classrooms, a gallery, exhibition spaces, a café and a multi-purpose community hall. The tower will feature a climbing wall.

The complex is expected to host cultural and community events, lectures, educational programmes, concerts, weddings, baptisms and leisure activities for the wider public. “We want to create a place that is alive every day. The church will be its natural centre, but alongside it there will be a range of spaces that can be used by people from the town and surrounding area. For us, the combination of spiritual, cultural, social and community functions is one of the greatest strengths of the entire project,” says Peter Kováč. 

First phase due for completion in 2027, entire complex one year later

The construction project, which was also visited in May 2026 by Czech President Petr Pavel together with Archbishop of Prague Stanislav Přibyl, is divided into two main phases. The first covers the shell construction of the main part of the church and, under the current schedule, is due to be completed in mid-2027. The second phase will see the tower and rectory completed, followed by the interior and exterior finishing works across the entire complex. The new church and community centre are scheduled to open fully at the end of 2028.

The total project budget is approximately CZK 250 million excluding VAT. The investor is the Neratovice Community Centre Foundation, established by the Archdiocese of Prague. “Our financing is based on several sources. Alongside funds raised through the sale and appreciation of church-owned land, the project is supported by individual donors, patrons and other contributors. Approximately CZK 115 million has currently been secured. Members of the public can also contribute to the financing. The fundraising campaign is continuing, and donations can be made via kostelneratovice.cz. We are also considering the possibility of allowing donors to fund a specific building element,” adds Marek Matocha, member of the Board of Trustees of the Neratovice Community Centre Foundation.