Instead of completing the town hall, a competition will be held for the design of the entire square

Prague - The intended architectural competition for the completion of the Prague Old Town Hall will likely become a conceptual competition for the design of the entire square. The drafting of its conditions will be preceded by a number of other activities, including construction and historical research of the area. It is a long-term process, said art historian Jiří Kotalík today, who heads the city working group established in connection with considerations to complete the Town Hall.
    The renewed idea for the completion of the Town Hall was introduced by the Prague ODS before the municipal elections. Last year, city politicians spoke about an international architectural competition that will be announced this year. "In my opinion, it is completely misguided to call it a competition for the completion of the Old Town Hall. It is rather an effort to somehow eliminate the long-standing unclear and provisional state of the square," Kotalík stated.
    According to him, the outline is prepared, and it is a matter of time when the process will start. First, everything achieved in past competitions will be summarized. From 1901 to 1967, seven competitions for the completion of the Town Hall were held, none of which had a winner. According to Kotalík, the competition proposals will be displayed, and a conference on this topic will be held.
    In conjunction with this, a survey should be conducted in the square. Under the surface, especially where the demolished Town Hall wing used to be, remnants of the original building and medieval houses from the 14th century are reportedly preserved. Everyone knows that under the surface, especially where the Town Hall wing used to be, remnants of the original Town Hall are preserved. "They are simply in a way our Czech Pompeii. Their extent and degree of preservation will clearly influence what can and cannot be done there," Kotalík noted.
    Based on all findings, the competition conditions will then be drafted. "It is more about the revitalization of the Old Town Square," the art historian stated. It should include, for example, whether the Marian Column should be restored or not, the form of the pavement, as well as the holding of cultural events and markets, and the scope of restaurant outdoor seating. "The aim is to find a key so that the square is not just a tourist attraction but an ideological center of the city and serves the people," Kotalík added.
    According to the director of the cultural and heritage department of the city hall, Jan Kněžínka, the intention of the approach will be assessed by the city council. He estimates that the first results could be available in the fall.
    The city hall would like to avoid the problem now posed by the potential construction of a new National Library building in Letná concerning the Old Town Square. The library study was created before the urban plan for the entire plain, for which a competition has not yet been announced.
    On the site of the destroyed part of the Town Hall, which was not original but dated back to the 19th century, a park was created after the war. The area is thus included in the land use plan.