Experts propose Hotel Praha as a cultural monument

Prague - A group of theorists, artists, architects, and heritage experts has submitted a proposal for declaring the Dejvice Hotel Prague a cultural monument. Built between 1979 and 1981, they believe the hotel is a completely unique example of architecture that stands out from the average of its time. The artworks, decorations, and furnishings in the interiors represent an extraordinarily cohesive collection of contemporary visual arts and design. The hotel has gained a new owner who intends to build apartments on the site.
     On February 25, experts submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture to declare the hotel a monument, which may, but does not have to, initiate the relevant proceedings. The proposal was informed to CTK by architectural historian and heritage expert Ladislav Zikmund-Lender, who was joined by art historian Milena Bartlová and artist Pavel Karous in signing it. The proposal is supported by architectural historian Rostislav Švácha, architecture critic Adam Gebrian, and the chairwoman of the Club for Old Prague, Kateřina Bečková.
     The hotel, which served the needs of the Communist Party and the Czechoslovak government until November 1989, is primarily perceived by people as a symbol of the pre-November era. Some experts do not consider it a significant architectural work. However, the proponents of the proposal state that the hotel represents experiments with so-called fluid architecture and is notable for its landscape shaping of the southern facade according to the contours of the surrounding terrain.
     They assert that at the time, the building had no equivalent in Czechoslovakia. It was created based on a competition, and the generous solution was made possible by exceptionally high financial investment, as the hotel was intended for guests of the ÚV KSČ. The architects of the building, Jaroslav Paroubek, Radko Černý, and Arnošt Navrátil, preserved the extensive park that had been on site since the 19th century as Petschkova Garden.
     The construction of the hotel is made of a steel skeleton. In the common areas, a unique interplay of materials - wood, ceramic tiles, stone - and furnishings by Zbyněk Hřivnáč has been preserved. The artworks, including remarkable lighting fixtures, were designed by leading artists, such as the world-renowned glass designers Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová.
     "Hotel Praha represents a unique testimony to a comprehensive artistic work of its time, where architecture, interiors, artistic elements, and furniture are harmonized. ... The new owner's plan to build residential housing on the site of the demolished hotel also does not guarantee a replacement with higher-quality architecture, which may be the only legitimate reason for the demolition of existing buildings," the proposers write to the ministry.