The PPF building will destroy the spirit of Victory Square in Prague, believes the association

Prague - The planned construction of a building by the PPF group at Vítězné náměstí in Prague will destroy the local genius loci, protests the Association of Organizations for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage of the Czech Republic (ASORKD). The president of the association, Pavel Ries, informed ČTK today. A portion of opposition councilors in Prague 6 also opposes the construction. PPF plans to start building a structure of approximately 18,000 square meters for offices, shops, and public spaces in the spring of 2014. The Prague 6 council will discuss the construction on February 15.
    "Vítězné náměstí is the focal point of the development of Dejvice and Bubenč, predominantly realized according to the concept of Antonín Engel from the early First Republic," Ries reminded. Although the square is, according to him, just a remnant of the original intent and needs to be completed, it should not be completed with objects like the PPF building. "It completely ignores any context with the surroundings," he assessed the PPF proposal.
    The actions of the Prague 6 city hall are also criticized by part of the council. According to plans from the 1990s, a new town hall building was supposed to be built on the plot between Jugoslávských partyzánů and Verdunská streets. However, Prague 6 eventually decided to renovate the existing town hall and to build a commercial building at Vítězné náměstí in cooperation with PPF. The lease of the land was supposed to bring up to 40 million crowns annually to the city, according to councilor Alexander Holub (TOP 09). However, last year the city hall agreed that PPF could build on the land alone, and the rent was reduced to about four million. "Prague 6 has lost influence over what is built in the square," Holub believes.
    According to Holub, the city hall also intends to give up the possibility through the request for a change in the zoning plan for public spaces in the building. However, Mayor Marie Kousalíková (ODS) disagrees with the objections. According to her, the council approved a regulatory study that fixes parameters of the building, such as height, shape, and capacity.
        The investor's proposal has reportedly been discussed by a committee and working group composed of representatives of both the coalition and opposition, which had access to expert opinions from architects. The council will probably deal with the construction and use of the land at Vítězné náměstí again at an extraordinary meeting on February 15.
        The planned PPF building is to include 13,290 square meters of office space. An additional 1,860 square meters is to be allocated for shops and cafes. The project sets aside 2,629 square meters for public facilities such as a library, media library, and lecture halls.