The house called Marshmallow in Prague 1 has a valid building permit

Prague - The controversial residential building in Prague 1, dubbed the marshmallow, has a valid building permit. This was announced by the spokesperson for the Prague 1 district, Veronika Blažková, to Czech Television. After years, the disputes about whether the construction can take place in the historic center of Prague come to an end. The building office issued the permit back in June 2015, but its validity was suspended as the construction was being considered by the Prague City Council and the Ministry of Culture. However, the investor of the building, the company Praga Progetti e Investimenti, must now start the construction by June, as the two-year deadline counts from the initial decision, ČT reported.

"It can be expected that in this case the investor will apply for an extension," the spokesperson noted. According to information from ČT, the building office is still addressing partial objections, which, however, do not affect the validity of the permit.

The proceedings at the building office continued after the positive opinion of the Prague City Council. The opinion was issued by Prague last December. According to the then statement of the preservationists, the residential building is acceptable from the viewpoint of heritage protection and is not a disruptive element. The dispute at the city council was concluded due to the decision of the Ministry of Culture. "The crucial and decisive was the decision of the Ministry of Culture, which requested the supplementation of some documents," Blažková commented.

The project, which people likely refer to as marshmallow due to the proposed color of the facade, evokes strong emotions in Prague. The author of the design rejects the criticisms of opponents, claiming he never considered a pink facade, which gave the project its nickname after the pink-white confection. In the city center, hundreds of people gathered in the past to protest against the construction. Critics are bothered by the fact that some permits for the building were issued many years ago for a house that was supposed to look different.

The house was designed by architect Zdeněk Fránek, and the project has changed several times. The original form of the project from 2008, which included a glass facade, was rejected by the Ministry of Culture based on the opinion of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), and in 2010 the permits from Prague's preservationists were revoked. However, the new project with windows shaped like faces was approved by both the NPÚ and the city council's preservationists.