<translation>Památkáři nesouhlasí se stavbou další výškové budovy v Olomouci</translation>

Olomouc - The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) disagrees with the project of the Šantovka Tower high-rise building in Olomouc, which, at 75 meters, is expected to share the position of the second tallest building in the city with the town hall. According to heritage protectors, the height of the tower, located near the historic center of Olomouc, would significantly damage the city’s skyline. Some architects and experts from the Institute of Art History have also spoken out against the planned construction of the high-rise building.
    "The intention to build the high-rise residential building Šantovka Tower is in sharp contradiction to the interests of state heritage protection," said František Chupík, the director of the Olomouc branch of NPÚ, to ČTK today, noting that the Šantovka Tower would overshadow the main city landmarks, such as the Cathedral of St. Wenceslas, the town hall tower, and the Church of St. Michael.
    Chupík pointed out that the Šantovka Tower project contradicts the principles of the development of the Olomouc region, the regulatory plan of the urban conservation area, and the regulations of the Ministry of Culture. "It does not respect the position of the Ministry of Culture regarding the proposal for a new zoning plan for Olomouc," he stated. According to him, the planned construction is also at odds with international documents by which the Czech Republic is committed to protecting cultural heritage.
    The company SMC Development, which is preparing the Šantovka Tower project, considers NPÚ's stance to be biased. "The institute opposed the construction of the Šantovka Tower long before it had any documentation in hand. Some of its employees publicly and anonymously attack the project in various forms of online discussions and show banners against the construction at public events," said project spokesperson Juraj Aláč to ČTK, noting that the heritage experts' report is neither professional nor objective.
    The Šantovka Tower, whose project was presented last December, is to have 22 floors. SMC Development estimates the construction costs at 400 million CZK. The building is designed to contain around 80 apartments. If SMC Development obtains the necessary permits, it intends to start construction in 2014 and complete it in 16 to 18 months.
    There are currently two new high-rise buildings in Olomouc. The Regional Center Olomouc reaches a height of 71 meters, and the building of the Moravian University is 74 meters tall. The new zoning plan, which has not yet come into effect, does not anticipate further high-rise buildings in the vicinity of the urban conservation area. The Ministry of Culture has expressed opposition to their construction during the preparation of the zoning plan.
    "The heritage protection authority has received NPÚ's statement and will further address the matter. The project assessment is ongoing in accordance with the law on state heritage protection," said Radka Štědrá, spokesperson for the Olomouc city hall, to ČTK today. The Department of Environmental Protection at the city hall is also reviewing the project and has asked the investor for expert assessments of the construction's impact on the landscape and birdlife. "We are well aware of the planned construction's connection to the Morava River and the environment around it, as well as to the urban conservation area," said the department head Petr Loyka to ČTK.
    The city hall is expected to receive the assessments by mid-May. "I cannot rule out that before we issue a statement, we will assign other specialists to prepare opposing assessments," Loyka noted, adding that it is regrettable that experts in Olomouc did not discuss high-rise buildings before the first two were constructed in the city.
    According to previous statements, SMC Development does not intend to wait for the new zoning plan to be approved. If it obtains a permit based on the current zoning plan, it may start construction even after the new version goes into effect. The new zoning plan is likely to take effect only at the beginning of 2014.
    The construction of the Šantovka district, which is being developed on 11 hectares, is set to cost 10 billion CZK. It will include a residential district, a shopping center, and an office complex. The project involves architects from the London studio Benoy.