The ministry has halted the review, the decision on the marshmallow stands

Prague - The Ministry for Regional Development has halted the review of the issuance of a building permit for the controversial new building U Milosrdných in the historic center of Prague, nicknamed marshmallow. The Czech News Agency learned this from a decision posted on the official board of Prague 1. Based on appeals submitted, the Prague magistrate initiated a review process, but according to the ministry, only after the decision had legal force. The document displayed on the official board had, in fact, indicated the wrong date.
    The investor Praga Progetti e investimenti appealed against the initiation of the review, and the ministry accepted its objection. "Since none of the parties to the relevant zoning proceedings, which were delivered via public announcement, appealed against the decision of the building authority dated April 30, 2014, within the specified time frame, the mentioned decision of the building authority acquired legal force on June 14, 2014, and not on June 17, 2014, as incorrectly indicated by the building authority on the written form of the decision," the document states. The magistrate had one year to begin the review.
    According to the administrative code, the office can correct the incorrectly marked clause of legal force at any time. However, according to the opponents of the building, there is "concern that someone intentionally manipulated the date of posting," they stated in their response to the investor's appeal.
     The project, which people nickname marshmallow due to its allegedly proposed facade color, evokes strong emotions in Prague. In the past, hundreds of people gathered in the city center to protest against the building. Associations and residents of nearby houses are bothered that some permits were issued many years ago for a house that was supposed to look different. They also criticize the unsuitability of the building for the historical center of Prague and its immediate proximity to the Anežský monastery.
    The house was designed by architect Zdeněk Fránek, and the project has changed several times. The original form of the project from 2008, which proposed a glass facade, was rejected by the Ministry of Culture based on the opinion of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), and the permits granted by Prague's heritage experts were revoked in 2010. However, the new project by Praga Progetti e Investimenti featuring windows shaped like faces was approved by both the NPÚ and the municipal heritage officials, and based on this, a building permit was issued. The author of the design rejects the opponents' criticisms, stating that he never planned a facade in pink color, which gave the project nicknames related to pink and white candy.