Pospíšil: The historic building of Barrandov Terraces is to be a monument

Prague - Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09), the Deputy Mayor of Prague responsible, among other things, for heritage conservation, wants to negotiate with the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) about the reinstatement of the cultural heritage status for the historic building of the Barrandov Terraces. The politician stated this to ČTK in response to today's information from the Právo newspaper, according to which the owner, who has been renovating and expanding the terraces in recent years, plans to build additional apartments in the building instead of the original function of a restaurant. The project has been criticized by Prague 5 and a local association.

The long-dilapidated functionalist building with a view of the Vltava River is owned by Liberec entrepreneur Michalis Dzikos, who has added two buildings originally presented as a hotel on either side since 2016. At the same time, the reconstruction of the former restaurant building is ongoing, where two restaurants were to be located according to the original plans.

This week, the Pirates from Prague 5 pointed out inconsistencies regarding the project, referring to information from the Barrandov Protection Association. According to them, instead of the hotel allowed by the zoning plan, the investor built apartments intended for sale and simultaneously canceled one of the restaurants in the historic building in favor of additional housing, contrary to the original intention. The Právo newspaper highlighted the case today, reporting that the Prague 5 council approved a request to the land registry office on Monday to refrain from registering the apartments in the buildings.

Pospíšil is also dissatisfied with the situation regarding the historic building and expressed surprise that it is currently not under heritage protection. "It is necessary to seriously talk with the NPÚ about whether the state should restore heritage protection," the deputy told ČTK. He added that, according to his information, the protection of the historic object was revoked by the court in the past due to a mistake and was never reinstated. In cases of discrepancies concerning the zoning plan, the deputy believes that state administration bodies responsible for permitting should address the issue. "The building authority in Prague 5 should act and investigate," he said.

Similarly, Deputy Mayor for Urban Development Petr Hlaváček (STAN) stated that the interpretation of the zoning plan and building permits are independent of the political representation. "According to the original proposal, the intention did not require a change in the zoning plan; whether the current form of the building is in accordance with the zoning plan is fully up to the assessment of these bodies. I believe they will adequately address the situation in case of investor errors," he noted. He added that he is not thoroughly familiar with the project's criticism, and according to his information, no civil complaint or petition has yet been delivered to the magistrate.

The functionalist building of the Barrandov Terraces commenced operation in 1929 and became the center of Prague’s elite in the 1930s. The complex was built by entrepreneur Václav Maria Havel, the father of former president Václav Havel, according to the design of architect Max Urban. The project included a restaurant, café, swimming pool with a diving tower, and nearby ten tennis courts, a volleyball court, and a sandy beach. In 1952, the buildings were nationalized; after the Velvet Revolution, the Havel family regained ownership, and Václav Havel's wife, Dagmar, sold it in 2003.