NPÚ wants to focus more on buildings from the second half of the 20th century

Brno Hotel International (photo: Miroslav Divina)

Prague - Experts from the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) want to protect the urbanism of the Brno housing estate Lesná, the International Hotel in the same city, and the New Stage of the National Theatre. They will therefore submit proposals for their declaration as cultural monuments to the Ministry of Culture, which decides on heritage protection. ČTK was informed today by NPÚ spokesperson Jana Tichá, referring to the first meeting of the new commission for the protection of monuments from the second half of the 20th century. The commission was established as an advisory body to the director of NPÚ.
    "We created the commission due to the lack of broader public discussion on the value of architectural works primarily from the 1960s to the 1980s," said NPÚ director Naďa Goryczková, who is herself an expert in modern architecture. The commission includes historians and theorists of architecture Ondřej Beneš, Karel Doležel, Matúš Dulla, Jiří Kotalík, Zdeněk Lukeš, Jakub Potůček, Martin Strakoš, and Rostislav Švácha.
    "From the perspective of traditional heritage care, the preservation of the historical value of urban structures may be prioritized regardless of the qualities of individual buildings from the indicated period. It can happen that valuable and quality buildings from the recent past are endangered or even irreversibly destroyed, such as the Ještěd department store in Liberec," Goryczková pointed out.
    The Lesná housing estate was created between 1962 and 1973 according to the design of Viktor Rudiš, Ivan Veselý, and František Zounka as the first large complex of complete residential construction realized through prefabricated industrial production. According to the commission, the main value of Lesná lies in its unique urban concept and the attractiveness of the location complemented by a collection of quality works by leading Czechoslovak artists.
    The Brno International Hotel was completed in 1962; based on a competition proposal by Vilém Kuba, it was constructed by architects Arnošt Krejza and Miroslav Kramoliš. Since 1987, it has been protected as an example of Brussels style using new contemporary materials complemented by top artistic works. Last year, at the request of the owner, the Ministry of Culture removed the protection, but the commission recommends reinstating it.
    The New Stage of the National Theatre designed by Karel Prager from the early 1980s evokes emotions of both kinds, which the commission perceives as positive. As essential values of the building, experts identify the facade and central staircase as well as the urban concept: a response to the historical building of the theatre and the creation of detachment with the formation of the piazzetta, the scale of the house, the interconnection of function and operation, and the unique theatre auditorium. The commission will therefore recommend the building for individual heritage protection.