The Club for Old Prague rejects the demolition of the boiler house in Brussels style

Prague - The Club for Old Prague is protesting against the planned demolition of the boiler house building in the Invalidovna housing estate in Prague. The building, which is currently unused, is considered a unique example of industrial architecture and is classified as a Brussels style structure by the club. The property belongs to the company FINEP, which states that the boiler house is in a dilapidated and safety-threatening condition. The owner has already received a positive opinion from the city preservationists regarding its demolition.

"The Club for Old Prague does not agree with the municipality's verdict and aligns itself with the opinion of the National Heritage Institute, which recommended preserving the building," said the club chairwoman Kateřina Bečková to ČTK. A proposal for the declaration of the building as a monument has been filed with the Ministry of Culture. "So far, it has not bothered anyone that the building is deteriorating and collapsing. We consider this industrial site to be a classic brownfield suitable for revitalization," stated Michal Viktorin from Nová Invalidovna, which is the project's owner according to FINEP.

According to the Club for Old Prague, the mazut boiler house is one of the unique examples of industrial buildings featuring an organically designed cable roof made of a concrete shell over a regular hexagonal floor plan. The boiler house was designed by architect Jan Zelený and structural engineer František Bäumelt and was built between 1964 and 1966. To this day, apart from the technological part, it has been preserved in its original state, including the chimney.

However, Viktorin states that similar buildings are relatively common in the Czech Republic and worldwide and that the boiler house in Invalidovna is significantly dilapidated. "The property is in a desolate state after floods, years without maintenance and care, abandonment, and repeated attacks by vandals and thieves, which threaten safety," he stated.

"The municipality's decision is all the more alarming since, at the time of the discussion of the application for the removal of the building, a proposal was submitted by local citizens for the declaration of the boiler house as a cultural monument," Bečková noted. Public interest in preserving the building has led to the initiative Mazutka lives, which aims, among other things, to find a suitable use for the property in cooperation with the private owner.

According to the Club for Old Prague, the boiler house represents a significant part of architectural heritage, as it is part of the urbanistically and architecturally cohesive residential complex of the experimental Invalidovna housing estate. The performance of the structural part of the cable shell roof with sprayed concrete on steel mesh is also extraordinary.

The Club for Old Prague, an association of heritage lovers, as well as experts and historians in art and architecture, has recently often commented on buildings from the second half of the 20th century. According to its members, these are among the most endangered parts of architectural heritage, whose qualities are neither appreciated by the public nor by some professionals. The club advocates for the preservation of the Transgas building complex on Vinohradská Street in Prague, and it has also opposed the demolition of the building at the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova Street that was remodeled in the early 20th century.