The preservationists are hesitant with Kaplický, Knížák would like to see the building elsewhere

Prague - The design for the new National Library building in Prague's Letná has, within a few days of its publication, provoked various reactions. The Ministry of Culture and the Prague City Hall, including its heritage department, express their support for the project through their representatives. The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) has yet to formulate its stance. The director of the National Gallery would like to see the building in this form in Prague but at a different location.
    "On Tuesday, a broader leadership meeting will convene, and we will issue a binding statement," said NPÚ spokesman Zdeněk Musil today to ČTK. The location chosen for the library is not part of the area registered on the UNESCO list within Prague; however, it is part of the Prague heritage reserve.
    "Jan Kaplický's design is interesting and such a building should definitely be constructed in Prague, but I find it more suitable to be located outside the city center, for example, on Pankrác Plain, where it would create a significant landmark. The entrance to Letná Plain and close proximity to the historical panorama of the city is, in my opinion, unfortunate," stated Milan Knížák, director of the National Gallery in Prague, to ČTK.
    The director of the city hall's heritage department, Jan Kněžínek, expressed his support for the building by voting in favor in the jury that unanimously selected Kaplický's design. Mayor Pavel Bém previously told ČTK that the proposal is bold, but he himself is a proponent of bold solutions. "Now, conservative heritage protectors will have their say, and a lively performance about the future of modern architecture in Prague will begin," he added.
    Architectural historian Rostislav Švácha told ČTK that he is ambivalent regarding the evaluation of the project. "I like the design; Kaplický is skilled at shaping things, but I have doubts about the relationship of that fifty-meter frog to St. Vitus Cathedral," he said. He believes the construction is too "trendy." "Fashionable stylistic forms can become outdated in a few years, and then we won’t know how to deal with that monster," he opined.
    The Club for Old Prague has also not yet formulated its stance; however, it criticized the choice of location even before the competition was announced - according to the club, a competition should have been called for the location as well. Discussions in the club have revolved around the area of Masaryk Station, where commercial buildings are planned. However, the project's discussion is ongoing on the club's website.
    One of the contributions is already considering what the "options for defense" are against the building if the city hall issues a positive binding statement and the Ministry of Culture, or the minister subsequently decides in the same vein during the review process, should someone submit a request. The next option is then a lawsuit to the administrative court. "I believe that Petr Kužvart (the legal representative) will come up with something; he succeeded with skyscrapers on Pankrác, so hopefully also in Letná Park," the writer anticipates the forthcoming developments. The Minister of Culture confirmed in a similar proceeding in October the previous decision of his office, which canceled the city hall's permission to build high-rise buildings on Pankrác Plain.