The Scientific Council of NPÚ has rejected the high-rise building Šantovka in Olomouc

Source
Petr Běhal

Publisher
ČTK
01.10.2013 18:20

Olomouc/Praha - The scientific council of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) disagrees with the Šantovka Tower high-rise building project in Olomouc, which, at 75 meters, should share the position of the second tallest building in the city with the town hall. According to the scientific council, the tall structure in the vicinity of the Olomouc city center is unacceptable due to the significant damage it would cause to the skyline of the historical center of the city. This was stated today by NPÚ spokesperson Dita Roubíčková. Some architects and experts from the Institute of Art History have also spoken out against the planned high-rise building.
    The NPÚ scientific council is particularly concerned that the high-rise building is to be constructed near the new shopping complex Galerie Šantovka, which will open at the end of October on the former site of the Milo company, and will be only 900 meters away from the town hall. "The architectural quality of the mentioned buildings is not convincing and cannot be considered beneficial from an urbanism perspective. The design of the Šantovka Tower high-rise building breaks the protective zone established precisely to protect the appearance of the historical core as a whole, its human scale, and the visual dominance of historical public and religious buildings. Allowing such a construction would deny the fundamental principles of protecting the historical core of Olomouc," states the NPÚ report.
    The Šantovka Tower project has been prepared by the company SMC Development. The spokesperson for the project, Juraj Aláč, told ČTK today that the investor would not comment on the scientific council's position. The Šantovka Tower is set to have 22 floors. SMC Development estimates the construction costs at 400 million crowns. The building is designed to contain approximately 80 apartments. If SMC Development obtains the necessary permits, they wish to start construction in 2014.
    The Šantovka Tower project has already been criticized by the leadership of the Olomouc branch of NPÚ. According to its director, František Chupík, the proposal contradicts the principles of development in the Olomouc region, the regulatory plan of the city heritage reserve, and the regulations of the Ministry of Culture. SMC Development has labeled the NPÚ's April position as biased. "The institute opposed the construction of Šantovka Tower long before it had any documentation in hand. Some of its employees have publicly and anonymously criticized the building in various internet discussions and have shown banners against the construction at public events," Aláč previously stated, arguing that the heritage experts' report is neither professional nor objective.
    Currently, two new high-rise buildings stand in Olomouc. The regional center of Olomouc reaches 71 meters, and the building of the Moravian University is 74 meters tall. The new zoning plan, which has yet to come into effect, does not account for further high-rise buildings near the city heritage reserve. The Ministry of Culture expressed its opposition to their construction during the preparation of the zoning plan.
    The Šantovka Tower project is being assessed by city hall officials. However, according to earlier statements, SMC Development does not intend to wait for the new zoning plan to be approved. If they obtain permission based on the current zoning plan, they can begin construction even after the new version comes into effect. The new zoning plan is likely to take effect only in 2014.

The Scientific Council of NPÚ has rejected the high-rise building Šantovka in Olomouc

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