Investor of the house repairs for the Havel Library disagrees with the criticisms of the Ministry of Culture

Prague - The architect involved in the upcoming reconstruction of the Hradčany House into the Václav Havel Library disagrees with the findings of the Ministry of Culture (MK) inspection. The inspection stated that work on the building began a year before the issuance of the monument preservation permit. Architect Marek Tichý told ČTK that exploratory work was being conducted in the heritage-protected building at that time, for which no permission is required; the current work has permits.
According to the MK, the exploratory work was too extensive, and its scope was considered work related to the restoration of the monument by officials. Both claims contradict each other; however, the mentioned work took place a year ago, and any penalties that the law imposes cannot be applied due to the statute of limitations.
The MK heritage inspection visited the house on Loretánské Square in early June this year based on a complaint from the Club for Old Prague. They believe that the current work being carried out in the building goes significantly beyond the framework of preservation and is more about preparation for construction. The inspection did not dispute today's work, stating that "work, primarily exploratory, was carried out on a cultural monument without the approval of a binding opinion from the heritage preservation authority."
However, legislation does not account for exploratory work with binding opinions. The dispute is over the extent of the exploration, which was considered necessary by the investor and not part of the work that requires permission. According to the MK inspection, it was both oversized and part of the restoration of the monument, which is supported by many arguments in their justification.
"Exploratory work was carried out solely for the purpose of obtaining information about the technical condition and construction history of the object. The preparation of explorations of such scope was, in accordance with common practice, a requirement from the heritage preservation authorities for any intention of restoration or reconstruction of the object," Tichý told ČTK.
He added that the work was reported to the construction department of Prague 1 and to the heritage authorities before commencement, who monitored their scope and execution. The MK argues that the heritage specialists were only informed of the execution of some of the explorations later and refer to the records in the construction log. "This, however, does not replace the issuance of a binding opinion from the heritage preservation authority," said the MK.
The inspection also dealt with the intervention against woodworm, which, according to them, had a "local occurrence" and was eliminated in June last year, i.e., "a year earlier than the relevant construction office made its decision to order securing works." The architect believes that the immediate elimination of the woodworm is evidence of proper care for the monument; according to the inspection, the intervention led to the "destruction of the walls and floors of the cultural monument, and generally such an intervention is considered damage to the cultural monument." The MK also notes that it is uncertain whether the intervention was carried out in accordance with preservation procedures and whether its method and extent were not greater than necessary and justified.
The house on Loretánské Square was purchased by entrepreneur Zdeněk Bakala, whose foundation sponsors the activities of Havel's library. In addition to publicly accessible areas, the house is also expected to have accommodation facilities and a private apartment. The project, which requires significant changes to the house, has been criticized from the outset by the National Heritage Institute. Experts disapproved, for instance, of the extent of the courtyard's basement, which they believed was oversized, and were concerned about the stability of the house and its surroundings.
The construction office of Prague 1 issued a non-binding territorial decision in January, which participants in the proceedings challenged within the statutory period. This blocked the entire construction procedure, and it is currently unclear when a building permit will be issued. Until then, the owner is not allowed to commence construction. However, the construction office ordered rescue work in the spring with the approval of city heritage authorities due to the allegedly emergency state of the building.