Experts for the restoration of management in the demolition of a house on Wenceslas Square

Prague - Experts in architecture and art history disagree with the planned demolition of the building at the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova Street in Prague, and have therefore called on Minister of Culture Jiří Besser (TOP 09) to renew the proceedings. According to 13 professors who have submitted a petition for the renewal of the proceedings, the building is architecturally and urbanistically valuable. However, the Department of Monument Care of the Prague city hall believes that the current building is not exceptional in any way. Minister Besser's decision to allow the demolition has sparked a wave of criticism in recent weeks, as it is considered dangerous mainly because it prioritizes the protection of private investment over the protection of a unique heritage reserve.
    "The building is an important link in the historical developmental chain of Czech architecture and a typical example of the contemporary intertwining and synthesis of styles, here neoclassicism and cubism," states the press release sent by Václava Pštrossová from the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, whose members have also signed the appeal. "Its condemnation to demolition would signify an unjustifiable cultural offense of both Czech and European significance," the experts warned.
    The Ministry of Culture (MK) received the petition for the renewal of the demolition proceedings on Friday, July 15, according to Eva Tichá from the MK press department. "This petition is currently in the processing stage. The MK will first communicate its position to the applicant," Tichá told ČTK today.
    The experts submitted a petition for the renewal of the proceedings, during which the minister confirmed the position of the Prague conservators approving the demolition. Among those advocating for the renewal of the proceedings are Václav Girsa, head of the Institute of Monument Care at the Faculty of Architecture at ČVUT, Lubomír Konečný, director of the Institute of Art History of the Academy of Sciences, or Jindřich Vybíral, head of the Department of Art History and Aesthetics at the AAAD.
    In addition to academics, the public has also opposed the demolition of the historic building in the city center, with several hundred people demonstrating at Wenceslas Square in June. Over 2,300 people have joined the Facebook page "Don't demolish the building at Wenceslas Square 47".
    Minister Besser justified his decision by stating that he wanted to respect the recommendation of the ministry’s appellate commission, which suggested allowing the demolition of the corner building, the courtyard part of the hotel, and the remains of the former Joint Stock Printing House, whose facade will be preserved. The minister's verdict is final and cannot be appealed. The investor must now apply to the Building Authority of Prague 1 for a demolition permit. It is still uncertain whether it will be granted.
    According to the project, the new building in the shape of the letter L will have three underground and nine above-ground floors. The investor intends to start demolition as early as this November. The new building is expected to have two underground levels designated for parking, with shops on four floors and offices in the rest.
    The building is part of one of the most significant spaces in the Prague Heritage Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Former President Václav Havel has also expressed his opposition to its demolition, criticizing the design of the planned new building.