<Klub> For Old Prague critiques the city's contract with Penta </Klub>

Prague - The club Za starou Prahu criticizes the memorandum on the development of the area around Masaryk Station, which Prague plans to conclude with the investor of the Masaryk Centre project. According to the club, the memorandum strengthens the influence of the company Penta, which plans to build in the area, on the development of the capital. The contract, according to the club, justifies in the eyes of the lay public the current leadership's reluctance to confront the self-centered project of administrative buildings on Na Florenci Street and to advocate for its modification in favor of the city. The club sent its position to ČTK today.

The agreement with the developer was approved by Prague councilors on Monday. Contrary to the original plan, the agreement stipulates that the project will include apartments, the streets will be repaired, and green spaces will be added. The city leadership considered appealing against the non-final zoning decision, but ultimately backed down from that. "The implementation of this phase of the project is set in an unknown future time frame, while the City of Prague, in return, renounces the option to appeal against the zoning decision of the first phase of the project on Na Florenci Street here and now," states the Club Za starou Prahu.

Penta intends to build an administrative district on the land according to the design of the late British architect Zaha Hadid. The construction is expected to cost up to ten billion crowns. The issued decision concerns the first part of the project on the brownfield site at Na Florenci Street, where two connected blocks are to be created.

The Club Za starou Prahu states that the step presented by the city council as a clever solution to the problem is, on the contrary, disadvantageous for the city and progressively strengthens Penta's influence on the development of Prague "unprecedentedly initiated by the era of mayor (Adriana) Krnáčová". "It is indisputable that the area around Masaryk Station needs urban planning solutions. However, the layout solution and massing concept of the group of buildings designed by Zaha Hadid enters the Prague environment as a completely foreign element that does not respect any of the existing historical structures of the city," believes the club.

According to the club, the group of solitary monoblocks is materially significantly larger and taller than the surrounding buildings, thus excessively densifying and also overloading the area at the expense of its surroundings. "The Masaryk Centre project not only ignores all ideas about a suitable harmonious entry of contemporary architecture into the environment of the heritage reserve, but also profiles itself as their direct opposite," thinks the club.

It reminds that the project was rejected by the Scientific Council of the National Heritage Institute. The Department of Heritage Care of the City Hall, as the executive body of state heritage care, assessed the project favorably last autumn.