The Heritage Association requests a review of the permit for marshmallow

Prague - The Heritage Association ASORKD has sent a suggestion to the heritage inspection of the Ministry of Culture to review the permits issued by the relevant authorities for the new building near the Convent of St. Agnes. People have nicknamed it marshmallow because of the color of the façade shown in its visualization. In the past few days, the project received a building permit, which has not yet come into legal effect. The National Gallery in Prague, which is a participant in the proceedings, is also considering appealing against it.
    "I consider the construction of a new residential building on U Milosrdných Street in close proximity to the Convent of St. Agnes, a site used as the residence of the collection of medieval and early Renaissance art and a significant national cultural monument, to be very unfortunate," said the director of the NG, Jiří Fajt. He has been leading the NG for less than a year; the six-story building has been in preparation for many years, and the contracts allowing the use of parts of the land in the convent area were concluded by his predecessors. The vast majority of the land on which the construction is to take place belongs to Prague.
    The investor cannot yet start building; besides the fact that the appeal period is still running, the territorial decision for this building will be reviewed based on the decision of the municipal building department.
    The project has sparked protests from hundreds of people in recent months. The house was designed by architect Zdeněk Fránek, and the project has been modified several times. Regarding the expanded visualizations, which led people to nickname the house, he says he never accounted for a façade in pink color.
    The original form of the project from 2008 was rejected by the Ministry of Culture based on the opinion of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) and the permit from Prague's heritage authorities was revoked in 2010. However, the new project by Praga Progetti e investimenti was approved by the NPÚ and municipal heritage authorities, and on this basis, a building permit was issued, although it is still not definitive. According to ASORKD, the new project is even more in conflict with the NPÚ's requirements formulated in the MK's decision that rejected the original project than the previous one.
    "The building is bulkier, and the architectural concept is even more aggressive. If the Ministry of Culture is to have a consistent approach, it must respond negatively to this new project for exactly the same reasons as it did in 2010,” said the Association of Associations for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage (ASORKD).