Investor of the construction in Revoluční must not demolish the old building

Prague - The Ministry of Culture (MK) has decided that the investor of the Novomlýnská Brána project cannot demolish the building on which the new structure is supposed to rise. This concerns the end of Revoluční Street in Prague 1, adjacent to the Štefánik Bridge. The owner of the building, who wants to construct the new object, has appealed against the decision of the ministerial conservationists. The matter is now being addressed by the MK's appeal committee, and it has not yet reached a conclusion, said MK spokeswoman Markéta Ševčíková today to ČTK.
     The Novomlýnská Brána project is intended to complete Revoluční Street and serve as a kind of gateway to the city center from the river. Experts from the National Heritage Institute were not fond of the project, but city conservationists granted it permission. In April, the MK reversed their decision and ruled that the demolition of the building is unacceptable. The owner of the building and the investor, Brobosu Properties, has filed an appeal against this decision.
     The bulky structure, which involves the demolition of the currently devastated neo-Renaissance building and the incorporation of a low Baroque house, is being designed by the DaM studio. "We are processing the project for the territorial decision, which precedes the request for a building permit," said Petr Burian from the studio, which continues to prepare the project. At the same time, the investor is negotiating with the town hall about the ownership of part of the sidewalk on which the new object is also supposed to stand. It previously belonged to the city.
     The owner of the land and building is counting on an investment of 250 million crowns. The building is expected to have multiple functions, primarily including shops, offices, and parking spaces, with the possibility of including more apartments.
     The investor invited five architectural studios to propose solutions for the forecourt of the Štefánik Bridge, an endeavor that many have attempted in the past. Several competitions were held, and in 2004, for example, architect Daniel Libeskind presented his design for a Salvador Dalí museum in Prague, which did not take much heed of the surrounding development.
     Some experts also criticize the current method of project selection – it is not an architectural competition held according to the rules. "As a private investor, we are not required by law to hold any competition," stated Radovan Karas, a representative of the company, in the past. Most developers operate this way today. The fact that a competition did not take place is also criticized by the Czech Chamber of Architects.
     DaM proposes a structure that is not a traditional city building - it does not have a classical façade with windows. The relatively bulky mass has an abstract shape, and the building’s shell is to be covered with perforated copper-colored metal. The structure is supposed to include a passageway that will provide access to the picturesque nook connecting with Lannova Street.