Architects are debating over statements regarding the restoration of Tugendhat

Brno - Two groups of Brno architects are disputing in court regarding statements about the planned renovations of the famous Tugendhat Villa. The company Omnia, which won the tender for the project documentation for the renovation, is demanding an apology from architect Jan Sapák for some of his remarks. Sapák, who was unsuccessful in the tender, has repeatedly labeled the selection of the winner as manipulated. The court has postponed today's proceedings until early June. However, there will be other court cases following this one; this time, Sapák has filed a lawsuit, which will seek to annul the tender results, among other things.
    The tender was already deemed illegal in 2006 by the Brno Regional Court, which annulled previous contradictory statements from the antitrust office. Now, the Supreme Administrative Court is dealing with the ruling of the regional court.
    The Tugendhat Villa is the only Czech monument of modern art listed as UNESCO World Heritage. Its renovation was supposed to start back in 2002. However, due to numerous disputes among experts and politicians, it has not yet begun. The city has not even announced a new tender for the company that will carry out the repairs. The previous tender was canceled. The tender for the building designer also ended up in court. The court ruled that the city hall should have disqualified Omnia from the tender because it did not meet the requirements of the tender.
    Following the verdict of the regional court regarding the illegality of the tender two years ago, Sapák has repeatedly stated in various media that the competition was manipulated from the start. He believes that the project by the winning company Omnia is too expensive and drastic, comparing it to the plastic surgeries of American singer Michael Jackson.
    Omnia claims that this and other statements have harmed it. In court, it demands that Sapák refrain from such statements in the future and apologize. "Of course, our partners reacted to those reports; it also affected our further work," described Vítek Tichý from Omnia. Sapák, however, rejects this, asserting that he could not have harmed the company. On the contrary, he wants to defend himself in court. He reportedly filed declaratory lawsuits concerning delays in proceedings at the antitrust office, and he also wants to seek the annulment of the tender and request a stay effect that would prevent the city from using the project documentation from Omnia.