NK and the magistrate are arguing over who should decide about the library in Letná

Prague - The National Library (NK) is at odds with the Prague City Hall over who should decide on the new library building in Letná. NK spokesperson Kateřina Nováková told the Czech News Agency today that the burden of the decision lies on the shoulders of the Ministry of Culture and the capital city. The City Hall, however, believes that the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) should first make the decision. The head of ÚOHS, Martin Pecina, stated in today's Právo that the office is not responsible for assessing the architectural competition, which took place according to the rules of the International Union of Architects.
    According to the library's spokesperson, Pecina's statement implies that ÚOHS will not "bury" the NK new building project in Letná. "The burden of the decision still rests with the Ministry of Culture and the capital city of Prague,” she told ČTK. She added that there are no substantial reasons that could lead to the project being dismissed.
    However, the Euro.cz server today reported that according to a new expert opinion from the head of the Department of International Law at Charles University’s Faculty of Law, Pavel Šturma, the competition for the new National Library building in Letná did not comply with the law. The opinion was reportedly requested by ÚOHS back in March, seeking an assessment of the competition in terms of international law.
    According to the server, the National Library relied on an exception to the public procurement law when organizing the competition. Based on this exception, the law does not apply in cases of competitions conducted in accordance with the rules of international organizations, which the National Library believes also includes the rules of the International Union of Architects (UIA), the server stated.
    However, based on Pavel Šturma's expert opinion, the server concludes that the rules of the International Union of Architects cannot be considered rules of an international organization, and thus the National Library could not use the exception to evade the application of public procurement law.
    NK director Vlastimil Ježek told Radiožurnál today that he does not want to give up the project by architect Jan Kaplický. If the Prague representatives are against the construction of the blob in Letná, they should clearly state this and propose alternative locations, he added.
    However, the city of Prague is now distancing itself from the planned construction of the new National Library building in Letná. “Prague currently has nothing to do with the National Library. The responsibility for assessing the irregularities in the competition must lie with the antimonopoly office,” stated Mayor Pavel Bém (ODS) to ČTK today.
    If it issues a positive opinion for construction, it will be up to the Ministry of Culture whether to allocate funds for the construction or not. If the government says "yes," it will be according to Bém the decision of the National Library whether the building should be on the originally approved land in Letná or elsewhere.
    Kaplický also placed the object on adjacent plots, which would require a change in the zoning plan. “If the National Library says: new land, then the council will act,” said Bém. Looking ahead, according to him, this could potentially occur more likely next year than this year.
    The representatives had already decided earlier to sell some plots to the library at a reduced price, but the library has not yet signed even a preliminary purchase agreement. The resolution states that the library would acquire the plots if it obtains a building permit and provides financing for the construction by the end of this year. Uncertainties arise regarding the interpretation of part of the representatives' verdict concerning the current tram loop, specifically who will bear the costs of its relocation. It is already clear, however, that the library will not meet the city's conditions by the end of the year.
    Although it is unclear whether the library will be built in Letná, supporters of Kaplický's proposal have decided to launch a national collection for the new library building. When the collection will start is not yet clear. According to the server Týden.cz, the collected money would be used for a feasibility study, which is currently lacking.
    In connection with the collection, Kaplický's wife, Eliška Fuchsová, told ČTK that they plan to soon move the model of the library, which is exhibited at Klementinum, to publicly accessible spaces.