Kaplicky's British Future Systems studio won the international contest for the new NK building last year.
However, the project of a nine-storey building shaped as a broad Prague 12th richest region in the EU. ...
German Experts Solve Mona Lisa Mystery Once and For All ...
Charter plane crashes near Kiev ...
Latest news - 30-11-2007 ... pyramid with rounded edges, dubbed as "octopus," has raised controversial reactions and it divided the public as well as experts and politicians into the camps of its supporters and opponents. "If a decision is not made in a month, I will withdraw from the project," Kaplicky told LN. NK director Vlastimil Jezek, who keenly supports the project, told LN he hopes that Kaplicky would change his mind about the ultimatum. He added that a new library should be completed in 2013. A National Library team that was established late last year to reassess all aspects of the project has not yet made a decision on the construction of Kaplicky's library in Prague-Letna, close to the city centre. The team wants to wait for the stance of the Czech Antitrust Office (UOHS). The Culture Ministry has asked the office to assess whether a public order can be placed on the basis of the architectonic contest's result. LN writes that Kaplicky accuses Prague Mayor Pavel Bem (Civic Democrats, ODS) for the inconclusive result of the talks on the library. "Mayor Bem has declared war on the National library," LN quotes Kaplicky as saying. Bem, on his part, insists that the team must wait for the UOHS's ruling before taking any further steps. Kaplicky, however, stressed that this was just a pretext. The architect on Wednesday presented a new model of the library in a gold/champagne colour, while the previous models looked rather greenish. He also told reporters that his lawyers were prepared to file a complaint against Prague with an international court. The Prague authority rejects such a complaint as unsubstantiated since the architectonic contest was organised by the National Library, that is a state institution, and not by the City of Prague. The project will be covered from the state budget, and this is why not Prague, but the Culture Ministry and probably also the government, with regard to the high investment, must decide on the building, Miroslav Sklenar, deputy director of Prague City Hall, wrote to CTK. LN points out that the Czech Republic faces a risk that the ambitious contest for a new NK building may end up with an enormous international shame if the officials an the architect do not find a consensus. The Czech Chamber of Architects (CKA) previously challenged the architectonic competition's conditions, arguing that Kaplicky violated them as he placed the book storage underground. However, the International Union of Architects (UIA) recently upheld the competition results, refuting all doubts about its regular character. The new NK premises are to resolve the problem of insufficient space in the existing National Library. The costs are estimated at approximately two billion crowns.
(Ceske Noviny)
more info >>
<< Back