New project has powerful opponents

The planned demolition of two buildings in a UNESCO-protected area is spurring opposition from preservationist groups and the condemnation of former President Václav Havel.

The controversial plans are centered on the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova street and received final approval from Culture Minister Jiří Besser May 26, reversing a previous ministry's decision.

"I had practically no choice," Besser said. "Yes, I could have made it easier and disrespect the unanimous resolution of the commission [of legal advisers] and ostensibly save an old building and be popular, but I made a decision that is legal and, in my view, also protects the country from further costly litigation."

The key building in the dispute was originally built in 1880 in a neo-Renaissance style. However, in 1920, a significant reconstruction by architect Jan Kozák flattened its profile so the building would not compete with the square's dominant structure, the National Museum. A second, adjacent building on Opletalova street has already been demolished, save for its facade, which is a protected monument. While both buildings reside within a UNESCO-protected zone, the main building is not among the square's 22 protected buildings.

In a letter to Besser, Havel wrote, "I know that I cannot change anything about it, but at the same time, I feel compelled to speak up and share my opinion with you. It is not only the sorrow that I feel but, even more, my fear about the monster that should be built in place of the demolished buildings."

Plans for the building Havel refers to call for a nine-floor structure with a glass facade. The first four floors will consist of retail space, with office space above and a two-floor underground parking garage below.

The developer, Václavské náměstí 19 a.s., and its chairman, James Lewis Woolf, did not respond to requests for comment. An architect involved in the project said his contract bans him from discussing the project with media.

A City Hall decision to approve the project in June 2010 was originally blocked by the Culture Ministry, before Besser cleared the way.

The Club for Old Prague (KSP), a civic preservation group founded in 1900, is among the groups that oppose the project, concerned that it might set a precedence for further demolition, as only 22 of Wenceslas Square's 48 buildings enjoy protected status.

"Demolition of a healthy, functional building in the protected conservation area is, in my view, out of the question, since it goes against the substance of a protection area," said KSP Chairwoman Kateřina Bečková, adding that Besser's approval comes across as a "legal decision in which owner rights are superior to the public's cultural rights."

Rostislav Švácha, an art historian at the Academy of Sciences, said the present building is a "unique synthesis of late-Cubism and neo-Classicism."

"The culture minister's words, that he protected the investment of the building's owner, are rather double-tongued, since the owner must have known the building lies in a culturally protected area," Švácha said. "Private interests were put above those of the public."

There are, however, experts who support the proposed changes.

Architect Zdeněk Lukeš provided an assessment on the existing building's significance to the developer.

"The beauty of Prague is in the growth of new architectural styles among old ones, which is visible on Wenceslas Square," he said.

In his assessment, Lukeš claimed the current building is rather unremarkable because its 20th-century renovation left the structure with almost none of its original architecture.

"It is just an ordinary Prague building," he said. "If we granted it the status of 'monument,' we would have to also include on that list every second building in Prague."

While opinions on the significance of this particular building differ, the absence of coherent urban planning in Prague is something most experts agree on.

Švácha believes Prague needs an architectural office independent of City Hall, similar to that of the State Regulatory Commission from of First Czechoslovak Republic.

The only remaining step before demolition is for the Prague 1 Building Authority to issue clearance.

As this issue went to press, the KPS was staging a protest, June 7, in a last-ditch effort to block to the project. By June 8, the group had collected some 12,000 signatures on a petition opposing the project.

Klára Jiřičná can be reached at
kjiricna@praguepost.com