Architects and other people disagree with the painting of the Nusle Bridge

Prague - The last living author of the design of the Nusle Bridge in Prague, Stanislav Hubička, disagrees with street artists painting part of the structure. A petition signed by five hundred people has also been created against the action sponsored by companies with city participation and supported by Prague councilor Alexandra Udženija (ODS). The event is also set to take place in an area that is part of the urban heritage zone, where permission is required. However, according to the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), permission from heritage officials has not yet been issued.
      CTK also has a letter from the architect sent to the organizers, in which he disagrees with the planned artistic treatment of the pillars. In the artistic design of the bridge, he intentionally used exposed concrete, which was created by a demanding method of formwork realization. "My concept was thus based on an aesthetic brutalist treatment of the structure, whose color scheme is intended to reflect my work," states Hubička.
      He therefore considers the planned painting of the pillars to be an undignified intervention into his authorship, as well as an intrusion into the valley of the central part of the city, which is located in an important and visually strongly exposed area of Prague. "In view of my personal author rights, I cannot agree with the proposed way of realizing art on my author work, and I request that you respect my exclusive rights," the author wrote to the organizers.
      The NPÚ also disapproves of the intention, regarding it as an invasive intervention into the Prague heritage zone and the structure itself. "The paint can penetrate the surface of the concrete, and its subsequent removal may be impossible or possible only at the cost of damaging the surface of the pillars, high costs, or even environmental strain," said NPÚ spokesperson Zdeňka Kalová to CTK.
      Whether the project will ultimately take place is not clear. The spokesperson for the magistrate, Tereza Králová, told CTK today that a meeting with the organizers is scheduled for Thursday, at which it should be decided whether the event will take place. Councilor Udženija is on vacation. In a statement from the organizers about the project, she stated: "Prague is thus integrating itself among the world metropolises that support modern street art. We are giving space to young artists who will transform the dull gray of the Nusle Bridge into an extraordinary spectacle."
      "I believe that if we define interesting places for young people to create, we will eliminate the destruction of facades by unwanted paintings," she adds. However, in preparing the project, the organizers bypassed legal obligations. The spray painters are set to start working on Friday morning, arriving in Prague from both the Czech Republic and abroad at the invitation of Taktum, which is organizing the event called Nuselák aka Graffiti Bridge.
      The construction of the Nusle Valley bridge in Prague has been in preparation since the end of the 19th century, with several competitions held over the next century; ultimately, the bridge was built according to the concept of Jan Vítek, Miroslav Súra, and Robert Bucháček, who proposed a monolithic concrete structure with five spans. The final documentation for the design was prepared by Svatopluk Kobr, Vojtěch Michálek, and Stanislav Hubička from PÚDIS; today only Hubička, who is 82 years old, is still alive. Construction began in 1965.
      Hubička is also the author of, for example, the former International Union of Students building in Prague and the Vyšehrad metro station, which lies in the Pankrác support of the Nusle Bridge. Last year, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Grand Prix Architects award.