ODS may support National Library

Few construction projects have managed to divide public opinion as deeply as the late, Czech-born architect Jan Kaplický's controversial proposal for a new National Library building in Prague, dubbed "The Blob."

Now more than a year after Kaplický's death, the debate continues. The futuristic design was the winning submission in an international contest organized in 2007. Three years later, Kaplický's dream of seeing his library built in Prague is no closer to being fulfilled than it was then, mostly due to opposition from politicians. President Václav Klaus was one of its most vocal critics, saying publicly in 2007 that he rejected the new library and would prevent its construction with his own body. A wave of similar criticism followed, and among the harshest opponents of the project were members of the governing party in Prague, the Civic Democrats (ODS), including Mayor Pavel Bém.

In 2007, the current leader of the party's Prague chapter, Boris Štastný, compared the design to a ball of phlegm on his personal website, calling it "sputum."

In 2009, the ODS-led City Council blocked plans to build it on Letná. Now, the party seems to have taken a 180-degree turn. Štastný announced last week that he has been discussing the project with Eliška Kaplický, the architect's widow.

"Yes, I have discussed the project with Eliška Kaplický several times," Štastný told The Prague Post. "I am convinced the Czech Republic needs a new national library, and I'd be glad to finally see it in Prague, so I support Kaplický's project."

Critics say Štastný's change of heart has more do with rival TOP 09's lead in opinion polls ahead of the Oct. 15-16 municipal elections.

"This new position on the issue does seem to be little more than a pre-election strategy of the party," said architectural historian Zdeněk Lukeš, "The main problem is that the author of the project is dead, and to complete the proposal would take a team of architects at least two years."

The ODS insists their shift has nothing to do with elections.

"First of all, politicians always find themselves in some sort of pre-election season," Štastný said. "But we simply think it's our responsibility to remove any lingering doubts and tell Prague residents that we have changed our attitude."

Another question that has been the subject of heated debate is the actual location of the library, with many opposing Letná, arguing it would dominate the city skyline.

"Personally, I would prefer that the library not be built at Špejchar [on Letná], because it would obstruct the Prague Castle panorama," Štastný said. "We are currently still discussing the question of the exact location that we would support and are planning to publicly announce our position on this next week."

After considerations to build The Blob in a number of places, Letná is now back in discussion, but instead of the originally planned spot at Špejchar, some say the library could be built at the former site of the park's Stalin statue - now the site of the Metronome - which was pulled down in the 1960s.

"The only logical location for the library would be at Špejchar," Lukeš said. "To put it where the Stalin statue used to be would probably incense a lot of people."

Sarah Borufka can be reached at
sborufka@praguepost.com