The next shape of Letná could be helped to find by an urban planning competition

Prague - The future shape of the Letná Plain area, near which two significant buildings are set to be constructed in the near future, should be assisted by an urban planning competition. A comprehensive vision for the Letná Plain does not yet exist. After today's seminar, which addressed the history and development of Letná, Václav Králíček from the Development Department of the City of Prague told journalists.
    According to him, the competition should be announced in the fall, so that its results will be available next year. A workshop should precede the competition. It should address architectural coordination regarding the ramp from the adjacent road to the tunnel, which is the first planned construction, and the library, which is the second intended building.
    Králíček noted that it is also necessary to address the entrances to the library and the rest of the Plain area after both new structures leave the construction companies. The workshop should take place no later than in two to three months, he stated.
    During today's seminar, participants emphasized that attempts to build on the area where the new National Library building is to be erected have a hundred-year history. Grand plans failed either due to lack of funds (in the first half of the 20th century) or for political reasons in the second half of the 20th century.
    Králíček and the director of the National Library, Vlastimil Ježek, also reminded that the construction site for the library is not located on the Letná Plain; it stands outside of it. They aimed to refute the objections of some critics of the construction, who are concerned about the potential loss of free and green space in Prague. The location where the library is to be built has long been designated in the zoning plan for a construction with cultural purpose.
    The winner for the construction of the new library emerged from an international architectural competition in which over 300 architects participated. The winning proposal from the British team Future Systems, led by Jan Kaplický, has sparked mixed reactions from the public. The National Library is currently exhibiting all competition entries in the Klementinum Gallery. The library enjoys support from the leadership of Prague and the Czech government in its efforts; it aims to obtain a building permit by the end of next year.
    Another exhibition presents the theme addressed by today's seminar - the history and development of Letná. It is held in the Architects' Hall at the Old Town Hall, where visitors can see numerous attempts at a new face for this distinctive part of Prague.