Historians want to save Transgas, they ask the minister for help

Prague - Art historians from universities are protesting against the decision of the Ministry of Culture, which refused to declare the buildings of the former Transgas in Prague a cultural monument. The buildings on Vinohradská Street, constructed in the brutalist style, are considered by heads of art history departments to be exceptional structures, while the building intended to replace them is just an ordinary utilitarian office building. They sent an open letter to the Minister of Culture today, asking him to save the building. Its owner wants to demolish it. ČTK has the letter available.

"We are convinced that the decision (...) was very unfortunate. We therefore urge you to use your influence to advocate for the preservation of this unique building," states the letter signed by the heads of the art history departments and institutes of the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, Masaryk University, the Academy of Fine Arts, Palacký University, and the Higher School of Art and Design.

The group of buildings of the former Central Gas Dispatching Transgas and the Ministry of Fuels and Energy stands under the building of Czech Radio. Its current owner, HB Reavis, plans to construct a multifunctional complex consisting of seven buildings on the site of several structures. It was designed by Jakub Cigler, the author of Quadrio and Florentinum and other administrative and residential buildings.

Advocates for the preservation of the former Transgas buildings state that the work of the team Jindřich Malátek, Ivo Loos, Zdeněk Eisenreich, and Václav Aulický is one of the most remarkable realizations in the brutalist style in the Czech Republic.

"We are convinced that in the context of Czech architecture of the second half of the 20th century, it is an exceptional building that creatively connects with the contemporary currents of Western technicism and brutalism," write the historians. They claim that the quality of the buildings lies not only in their architectural conception but also in "remarkable technical details that have survived to this day in considerable authenticity." Through creative ingenuity or courage in technical experiments, they place the Transgas building alongside structures like the Ještěd transmitter or the nearby building of the Federal Assembly, which have been granted heritage protection.

In its decision, the ministry stated, among other things, that the architectural qualities of the existing building do not compensate for its significant urban planning shortcomings. However, historians argue that "the solitary Transgas buildings were elegantly incorporated into the block structure of the city in such a way that they naturally connected to their surroundings and created the illusion of an organically grown city."