The new building on Revoluční by Eva Jiřičná is changing, it doesn't have green light yet

Prague - The proposed new building on Revoluční street in Prague has been revised multiple times by its author Eva Jiřičná due to the opinions of preservationists. However, after months of discussion, it still does not have their final approval. The current design of the proposed house was provided to ČTK by the investor. Like the previous project, Jiřičná plans for the construction to occupy not only a small gap but also the site where a building currently stands. This would mean demolishing a structure in a heritage conservation area, a step the company is sensitive about - even though experts are not unanimously convinced of its value.
    The investor chose Jiřičná last autumn; the architect presented several variants in January but emphasized a solution where the main mass concludes at the level of the cornice of the adjacent building on Revoluční street, with three receding floors above this level. However, the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) wanted to lower the height and did not recommend a corner tower.
    In October, Jiřičná presented to the NPÚ a version reduced by one receding floor; the total height of the house, including the corner tower, is at the level of the opposite Merkur palace. In November, the preservation department of the city hall also reviewed this version. Jiří Skalický, the director of the department, told ČTK that the department has not yet issued a binding opinion. "We are waiting for a statement from the NPÚ, and the proposal will (again) be examined by a panel of experts for heritage care," he stated.
    "In evaluating the proposal for the new building, the scientific council of the NPÚ agreed that the submitted proposal is more appropriate compared to previous ones, but not convincing enough from an architectural and urban planning perspective to be accepted under the given conditions," said NPÚ spokesperson Jana Tichá to ČTK. According to her, the scientific council did not have an independent expert assessment of the heritage values of the house, without which the matter cannot be qualified; assessments submitted by the investor cannot be considered independent. "It therefore expressed disagreement with the demolition," the spokesperson noted.
    However, experts have been dealing with the historic building on Revoluční for quite some time; its architectural values were also assessed by the Ministry of Culture. Two years ago, the then investor had already obtained permission from preservationists for demolition and construction of a house designed by the DaM studio. However, the Ministry of Culture ruled in the appeals process that the house should not be demolished.
    Meanwhile, the investor has changed. RSJ Private Equity rejected the original project and approached Jiřičná for a new house proposal. The Novomlýnská Gate is intended to conclude Revoluční street. Current plans to fill the gap are about three years old, but the site has been empty for seventy years, and previous attempts to build on it were made in the past.
    In the architectural-historical survey prepared by Patril Líbal from the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, the interior of the house is considered "entirely worthless from a heritage standpoint" after radical renovations. According to him, the building is in relatively good static condition and does not show any significant structural defects. However, it is not a prime example of historicizing architecture, and its value lay mainly in its connection with the former building of Eliška's baths. In terms of architectural stabilization of Revoluční street, replacing it with an adequate new build could also be considered, the report states.
    Jiřičná's proposal includes the incorporation of a late Baroque house on Lannova street and connects with the surrounding buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries. The project plans to make the Baroque building accessible to the public through a passage from Revoluční street. Current technological possibilities allow part of the existing gable wall to be greened, say the authors.
    Jiřičná already mentioned at the assignment that she wants to build a house that meets all functional requirements, will have contemporary architecture, and "will not scream: Look at me." "I really hate demolishing something, I really hate cutting down trees, but I think this building has no good option for renovation," she stated regarding the intention to demolish the adjacent building.