<div>The house on the corner of Wenceslas Square is not a monument; it will be demolished.</div>

Publisher
ČTK
03.07.2013 12:55

Prague - The Minister of Culture in resignation, Alena Hanáková, has decided that the building at the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova Street in Prague will not be protected as a historical monument. This is a final position, spokesperson Lenka Brandtová said today in response to a query from ČTK. The owner can thus demolish the building and construct a new one in its place. There have been heated debates surrounding the controversial project for several months. All experts consulted who oppose the demolition are surprised by the decision and will prepare further protests. According to them, the ministerial verdict does not yet mean that the house can be demolished.
Opponents of the demolition are therefore waiting to see the outcome of the zoning proceedings at the Prague 1 building authority regarding the construction of the structure that is to replace the corner building. Protests against the demolition have taken place multiple times, most recently on Monday in front of the Prague City Hall. "We will try to intervene in favor of preserving the house, because it does not mean that just because something is not an independent historical monument, that if a house is in a historical reserve, it can be demolished," told ČTK Kateřina Bečková, chairwoman of the Club for Old Prague.
    Hanáková made her decision based on the opinion of her advisory commission, which had reviewed the judgment of the ministry’s heritage department for several months. The department decided last year not to declare the house as a cultural monument.
    The association Civic Monitoring intends to register for the zoning proceedings in the coming days as well. According to its director, Vítězslav Praks, the ministry's action is an act of self-preservation, as it refuses to protect the UNESCO heritage zone. "From our perspective, this is absolutely scandalous. It is a typical example of the 'after us the flood' policy, and the latest activity of the minister, who is in resignation," Praks stated. He believes the building is an integral part of Wenceslas Square.
    The final resolution from the minister indicates that it is not possible for the ministry to protect all architecturally interesting buildings by declaration as monuments, as this is primarily the task of local authorities. "..cultural monuments should primarily be above-average and exceptional objects, rather than purposefully those for which due to the mistakes of the City Hall of Prague, blanket monument protection has failed," the resolution states, which is available to ČTK.
    The City Hall had previously approved the intention to demolish the building. The owner, "in good faith," had planned to carry out the project, and could now seek compensation for lost profits amounting to tens of millions of crowns. According to Hanáková, this would mean "an unacceptable risk" for the state. The owner of the building, the company Flow East, had previously indicated that it would indeed seek compensation from the state.
    Flow East can now continue with its plans and apply for the demolition of the house. The company has owned the building since 1994. The project costs, including the purchase of the land and the building, reportedly reach billions of crowns; the new construction is estimated to cost another billion and is to be named the Flower House. Since 2001, many experts have criticized the investor's plan. The Ministry of Culture received proposals twice last year for the building to be declared a monument, but the heritage department did not declare it.

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