Heritage officials disagree with the proposal for modifications to Karlovo náměstí

Prague - Conservators disagree with the proposal for modifications to Karlovo náměstí, which emerged from an architectural competition announced by the Prague 2 municipality. They have objections, for example, to the planned underpass under Ječná street. However, Prague 2 does not like this; according to Deputy Mayor Václav Vondrášek (ODS), the municipality deliberately invited the conservators to the committee that evaluated the competition proposals. They wanted to avoid later disagreement with the project.
    Karlovo náměstí is the largest square in the Czech Republic, named after Charles IV, who initiated its creation in New Town.
    The National Heritage Institute sent its position to the Prague 2 municipality in recent days. CTK has not yet been able to obtain a statement from the conservators. According to Vondrášek, however, they consider the construction of an underpass under Ječná, which was to connect to the metro vestibule, unacceptable. There used to be a chapel in these places. The conservators believe it is better for this monument to remain buried underground, Vondrášek said.
    "This is a misunderstanding. We proclaimed that excavation would be done very carefully. As soon as any notable site is encountered, it will be preserved and made accessible," Vondrášek said angrily. "We are not concerned with having an underpass there at all costs. However, I think it is necessary to uncover the monuments so they can be seen," he added. According to him, the people involved in drafting the report were those who previously advocated other proposals for the reconstruction of the square. However, those were not accepted due to public disagreement.
    According to Vondrášek, the underpass is not the only objection from the conservators. The project is generally unacceptable to the conservators, the deputy mayor stated.
    The municipality is now considering what steps to take. It could continue to push for its project, as the final decision rests with the municipal heritage department. While it should take the conservators' opinion into account, there have been cases where officials did not consider the conservators' views. However, Prague 2 does not want to proceed that way. "The reconstruction will be financially very costly. Therefore, we wanted the conservators' recommendation so we could apply for grants from European funds," noted the deputy mayor.
    The architectural competition for the reconstruction of Karlovo náměstí was announced by the municipality last June, with 22 proposals submitted. In December, a special committee selected the best projects. The municipality did not choose a winner from the competition, only awarding second and third prizes, with five other projects recognized. All proposals can be viewed by the public at the municipality building in náměstí Míru.
    The conservators have previously stated that they want to preserve the park in its original form, as it was designed by landscape architect and director of Prague parks and gardens František Thomayer, brother of the well-known doctor Josef Thomayer. The architect unified the entire square and planted a row of resilient deciduous trees along its perimeter. However, according to Prague 2, this solution is outdated as it did not account for the intense automobile traffic, nor for trams and the metro.