Prague may repair Gočár's cubist houses next year

Prague - The capital city may repair the decaying wooden cubist houses designed by the significant interwar architect Josef Gočár next year. The Heritage Protection Committee of the Prague City Council has recommended that next year's budget includes funds for their reconstruction. According to the councilor of Prague 1 and Prague representative Filip Dvořák, the repair could cost about 30 million crowns. The budget of the metropolis for 2009 will be approved by the council at the end of this year.
    The houses are currently disassembled and stored at the Prague Zoo; according to Dvořák, they should be relocated after reconstruction to a place where more tourists can see them. "People go to the zoo for the animals, not for the architecture. The houses will be restored elsewhere anyway," Dvořák told ČTK. Both buildings are cultural monuments, and restoring them would essentially mean creating new buildings according to the original plans. Prague 1 would like to see them on Petřín Hill, where they would reportedly stand out better. A study should determine the future location, which will assess various options and their benefits, according to Dvořák.
    The Prague Zoo would like to keep the houses on its premises after reconstruction. "But it primarily depends on the city hall, which would have to finance their reconstruction," said zoo spokesman Vít Kahle to ČTK. The zoo would have a use for the buildings—one would host a gallery commemorating its history and could hold photographic exhibitions focused on fauna. The other could be an educational center, the spokesman noted.
    Jan Kněžínek, the director of the Department of Culture and Heritage Protection of the Prague City Hall, told ČTK that it is difficult to decide where their placement would be more appropriate. The zoo indeed has many different "attractions" and draws visitors, but the second proposed location could enhance the appeal of the cubist monuments. The zoo attracts a large number of visitors, and thus many people could see the restored buildings of the famous architect, added Kněžínek.
    The houses built in the so-called national style were originally three and stood at the first Prague airport in Kbely. They served as a restaurant, technical and administrative building. In the 1960s, they were relocated to the premises of the Troja Zoo. In August 2002, they were flooded.