Prague has taken the first step towards the completion of the Old Town Hall

Prague - The Prague City Hall has taken the first concrete step towards the possible completion of the Old Town Hall and the renovation of its surroundings. The City Council today approved a process under which an exhibition of previous competitive designs will be prepared, a professional conference will be organized, and the square will undergo construction and historical research, the City Hall informed journalists. Everything will be supervised by a professional working group.
    If discussions conclude that the best solution is the completion of the Old Town Hall, conditions for the competition will be developed. It would be announced by mid-October next year, and results should be known still that year.
    Experts refer to the Old Town Square as Prague's Pompeii. First, existing research of the square will be summarized, followed by new investigations conducted by archaeologists. The results should indicate, among other things, what kind of furnishings, paving, greenery, and lighting the square should have. Experts will also address advertising, transportation, restaurants, and markets.
    From 1901 to 1967, seven competitions were held for the completion of the Town Hall, none of which had a winner. "Therefore, we will not take the path of simply announcing another architectural competition for the completion of the Town Hall, but in the broadest public and expert debate, we will try to evaluate the optimal needs and possibilities for the use of this space in the context of the square and the broader center of Prague," stated Mayor Pavel Bém (ODS). It is not about changing the face of the square at all costs but about sensitively complementing it and aligning it with the needs of contemporary people, he added.
    The idea of completing the Town Hall was revived by the Prague ODS before the municipal elections. Last year, city politicians spoke of an international architectural competition that was to be announced this year. The opposition ČSSD is questioning the current plans.
    "We believe that it is first necessary to commission a study that will determine whether the completion of the Town Hall is necessary from a functional or architectural perspective. A park would certainly serve this area better," said Miroslav Poche, vice-chairman of the socialist councilors, to CTK. The Social Democrats argue that Prague needs to invest money in other areas rather than potentially completing the Town Hall.
    In the place of the destroyed part of the Town Hall, which was not original but dated from the 19th century, a park was created after World War II. The space is thus also included in the territorial plan.
    In the commission overseeing the current process of possible changes to the square, there are figures such as archaeologist Zdeněk Dragoun, director of the National Heritage Institute Pavel Jerie, director of its Prague office Michael Zachař, director of the municipal heritage protection Jan Kněžínek, art historian Jiří Kotalík, architectural historian Zdeněk Lukeš, and director of the National Gallery Milan Knížák.