The Chamber of Architects disagrees with the construction on the piazzetta at the Intercontinental

Prague – The Czech Chamber of Architects disagrees with the construction of buildings in the open space near the Intercontinental Hotel in the center of Prague, as planned by the property owner. The piazzetta, which has borne the name of Miloš Forman Square since 2018, is not considered by the Chamber to be a gap or parcel designated for construction; it is an unbuildable public space in a stabilized area. The chamber published its stance on the website. The proposed new building is also criticized by some local residents and politicians.

Since January 2019, the hotel has been owned by the R2G fund, which includes entrepreneurs Oldřich Šlemr, Eduard Kučera, and Pavel Baudiš, who are reconstructing it and planning modifications to the surroundings. At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Culture decided that the hotel, built between 1968 and 1974, would not receive heritage protection. Therefore, the owner can continue with the reconstruction, but since the hotel and the surrounding area are protected under the Prague Heritage Reservation regime, the property owner must obtain a binding opinion from the Prague City Hall for the proposed construction.

The project for the modifications around the hotel is currently under discussion in the metropolis. Some local residents and opposition councilors in Prague 1 are against the plan to build a glass structure on the piazzetta. In February, city councilors approved a dissenting opinion regarding the building and the submission of an objection in the zoning proceedings.

The hotel owners state that the piazzetta area is a territory that needs to be further developed in the context of the heritage reservation. "In its assessment, the Ministry of Culture had available the proposal for the Staroměstská brána project, including the building at the corner of Pařížská and Bílkova streets. We welcome that heritage protectors want to develop this area sensitively, rather than preserve it in a 1960s state," said Jakub Dyba, a representative of the hotel owners, to ČTK earlier.

However, the Chamber of Architects states that the piazzetta is today an indisputable and quality part of the public spaces of the Prague Heritage Reservation. "This is undoubtedly anchored in the existing Prague zoning plan. It is certainly appropriate to discuss the reconstruction of this public space, but an unreasonable new construction of a multi-story commercial object cannot be allowed in this square," said the chamber's board.

They add that although the hotel building is considered one of the most significant examples of brutalist architecture in the Czech Republic, the urban solution of the hotel sensitively responded to the context of the original buildings, including the new constructions after the demolition, bringing new quality to the area. According to the architects, the hotel complex referenced the concept established by the construction of the Faculty of Law from 1924 to 1931 according to the project of Jan Kotěra and additionally created the piazzetta on the site of war-damaged houses, revealing the facades of teachers' houses built between 1919 and 1921 according to the project of Otakar Novotný, which are among the most significant examples of cubist architecture in Prague.

The Club for Old Prague has also previously opposed the new construction. According to the club, the piazzetta serves a recreational and viewing function, and people have long perceived it as a proper square; the urban status of a quality urban space has also been confirmed by its naming as Miloš Forman Square.

The Club for Old Prague holds the view that the proposed four-story pavilion does not respect the architectural values of this square, harms its functions, and approaches this quality urban space as if it were merely a gap, which the club considers an urban and architectural mistake, the club states on its website.