Ministerstvo decides whether the station in Žižkov will be a monument

Prague - The Ministry of Culture (MK) has begun assessing whether the Žižkov Freight Station could become a cultural heritage site. This was communicated to ČTK by representatives of the Green Party in Prague 3, who criticize the proposed radical changes to the station area. Until the end of the proceedings, the owner must care for the property as if it had already been declared a heritage site. The Žižkov station is among the areas that Prague, together with developers, plans to alter for purposes other than its original use.
    The MK informed the owner of the station, Czech Railways, about the start of the proceedings on May 5. According to the law, the owner must protect the property from damage even during the proceedings, and must notify the ministry of any and all intended changes to its ownership, management, or use.
    The ministry initiated the declaration process based on a proposal submitted by the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) as early as 2003, rather than on a new proposal submitted in May by the Club for Old Prague and the Research Centre for Industrial Heritage at CTU.
    In the proposal to declare the station a heritage site, which ČTK has at its disposal, the ministry states that it has selected the most valuable parts of the proposed complex; it found the NPÚ's proposal justified and initiated proceedings, at the end of which the station buildings could be declared a cultural heritage site.
    According to some experts in architecture and heritage, the station is unique in its operational solution, representing the largest and best-preserved functionalist industrial building in Prague. They say that the station could be reused without disrupting its material essence and while clearly retaining its original operation.
    For several years now, there has been talk of new apartments and offices being built on the site of the station, and a sort of urban boulevard is to be created by extending Olšanská Street. Not only heritage conservationists but also local civic associations have protested against the radical redevelopment.
    So far, there has been a construction moratorium at the Žižkov station, but in April the city council approved an exception. Therefore, construction can take place on part of the area, even without the approval of a new Prague zoning plan. Last week, Prague city councilors agreed to further discuss changes that would allow the redevelopment of not only the Žižkov station but also Masaryk and Smíchov stations. According to the Greens, this approval of changes to the zoning plan entails the demolition of the station buildings.
    Opposition councilor Zuzana Drhová (SZ) criticized the lack of a precise definition of what should be present in individual areas in the redevelopment proposals for the station. According to Drhová, this gives the metropolis a blank check regarding how the area will look. She is also displeased that the council decided to initiate a change to the zoning plan without considering the fact that the ministry has initiated proceedings to declare the station a heritage site.