The Nostitz Palace has a modern Pleskot extension in its courtyard

Prague - The headquarters of the Ministry of Culture in the Nostitz Palace in Malá Strana has a new information center. It was created by roofing over the space of the former farmyard, with a lightweight metal structure and a translucent shell designed by architect Josef Pleskot. The information center aims to be used by the office, for example, during the Czech Republic's presidency of the EU, but also for better contact with the public.
    According to some experts, the construction was completely unnecessary - if the ministry wants to better inform citizens, they can use the internet for that. The creation of the new information center was criticized in the spring by former Minister of Culture and MP Vítězslav Jandák. He stated that the money could have been used for the repair of monuments and mentioned that the construction would cost 28 million crowns. The ministry planned 20 million crowns, but in the end, it cost 11 million crowns from the office's budget, specifically from the chapter on the restoration of material and technical resources.
    The press also stated that Minister Václav Jehlička personally knows Pleskot. "The Ministry of Culture approached architect Josef Pleskot as a reputable expert who has demonstrated high professionalism and a sensitive approach to revitalizing historical buildings in many realizations," the ministry states. The architect reportedly only got to know the minister personally while working on the mentioned project.
    Pleskot designed the roofing of the second courtyard of the palace, known as the farmyard, using a lightweight inserted structure made of aluminum profiles and transparent lightweight foil. He placed a sculpture by sculptor Karel Nepraš within the newly formed enclosed space. The life-sized horse sculpture passes through the wall, reminding that there used to be a stable in the location.