Prague heritage officials have once again given the green light to the marshmallow building

Prague - The Prague City Hall has once again given a positive opinion on the construction of an apartment building in Prague 1. The building known as the marshmallow is acceptable from the perspective of heritage protection, said Jiří Skalický, director of the city heritage department, in an interview with ČTK. The project for the apartment building on U Milosrdných Street has been in development for many years and has undergone several changes. It provokes strong emotions.

According to Skalický, the City Hall reacted to the decision of the Ministry of Culture, which returned the decision to heritage officials for further processing. "We have done so, and we confirmed the original positive opinion," stated the director. "The marshmallow is not a disturbing element in the area," he added. The approval from heritage officials is a necessary prerequisite when planning construction in a heritage reserve. Thus, the building authority of Prague 1 can continue with the territorial proceedings.

The latest design with windows shaped like faces was approved by officials, but the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Local Development canceled the decision. Inspectors from the Ministry of Culture canceled the binding opinions from 2012 and 2014 last November. The investor of the project, the company Praga Progetti e Investimenti, filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Culture due to the inspection's decision.

The project, which people likely nicknamed marshmallow because of the proposed color of the facade, evokes strong emotions in Prague. The designer of the proposal rejects the criticisms of opponents, claiming that he never planned for the facade to be pink, which gave the project its nickname after the pink-white candy. In the past, hundreds of people gathered in the city center in protest against the construction. Critics are bothered by the fact that some permissions were issued many years ago for a house that was supposed to look different.

The house was designed by architect Zdeněk Fránek, and the project has changed several times. The original design from 2008, which included a glass facade, was rejected by the Ministry of Culture based on the opinion of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) and the permission from Prague heritage officials was revoked in 2010. However, the new project with windows shaped like faces has been approved by both the NPÚ and the city heritage officials.