Expression regarding the proposed reconstruction of the Salm Palace in Olomouc

O. s. For Beautiful Olomouc is monitoring activities aimed at the reconstruction of the Baroque Salm Palace in the Upper Square in Olomouc, one of the most monumental urban Baroque residences in Moravia. Count Julius Salm built Salm Palace at the end of the 17th century on the site of several burgher houses. The façade with its high pilaster order and elaborate stucco decoration was created during a comprehensive reconstruction in 1728. In 1791-1792, the two-story building was raised by one floor and topped with a mansard roof, which was removed in 1906. The interior spaces have been continuously adapted, particularly noticeable are the modifications from the interwar period and subsequently after World War II (internal partitions). In the 1990s, there was a partial rehabilitation of the vaulted ground floor spaces; however, this coincided with the degradation of the internal courtyard due to the construction of a utility unit. The palace courtyard is grassy, with some preserved stone paving.

In 2006, the building was sold by the city to a new interested party, which is the company Binar s.r.o., which has not yet undertaken a complete reconstruction. Although this is a building of immovable cultural heritage in an exposed location of the urban conservation area, the new owner currently declares more of a commercial interest, without emphasis on presenting the cultural values of the building and its appropriate use. This is manifested by the fact that they have already made an attempt to prioritize roofing the courtyard space, so it could be used year-round. However, this is contrary to the basic methodologies of heritage care, including the decree of the Ministry of Culture declaring the historical center of Olomouc as an urban conservation area. In order to roof the courtyard, the city even made a change to the Regulatory Plan of the Olomouc urban conservation area and the courtyard was reclassified as “other courtyard areas”, which can be built on (roofed) with the consent of the heritage authority. This consent was once given by the Heritage Department of the Olomouc City Hall (MMOL) and only due to the intervention of the Regional Office was this attempt thwarted. Now the owner has again applied for building modifications to the palace, including roofing the courtyard, and despite the justified disagreement of the National Heritage Institute’s office in Olomouc, this inappropriate modification of the courtyard has once again been permitted by the Heritage Department of MMOL.

O. s. For Beautiful Olomouc stands on the side of professional heritage organizations in this case and recommends that the owner withdraw from their intentions and preserve the courtyard without roofing. Roofing the courtyard could take on an architecturally valuable form and may represent an interesting connection between a new element and historical architecture from a certain perspective, but it raises the question of whether it is appropriate to apply this concept to such a significant object in the center of the conservation area and whether the artistic form of the roofing will overshadow the commercially inappropriate misuse of the courtyard. By roofing the courtyard, the original character of the building will be destroyed, as will its authentic layout, which are precisely the reasons why such significant objects are protected. This degradation of historical architecture will leave little of its integrity, and it will be a question of how much Salm Palace can still be considered a monument afterward. The total "death" of the historical essence of such monuments is already evidenced by implemented analogous actions (e.g., the House of the Lords of Lipá on Svobody Square in Brno). Additionally, the potential roofing of the courtyard will set a precedent for other property owners in the city, thus contributing to the destruction of the city's heritage values. O. s. For Beautiful Olomouc recognizes the financial burdens of reconstructing a building of this type and size, but calls for the acceptance of its status as an immovable cultural monument located in the center of the second most significant conservation area in the Czech Republic. We believe that Salm Palace can be attractively utilized — with a sensitive approach from the investor and designer — without damaging its exceptional heritage and aesthetic values.