When unveiling new fountains, Plzeň expects controversial reactions

Plzeň - Controversial reactions are expected from the Plzeň city hall upon the unveiling of new fountains in the Republic Square. The trio of modern water spouts designed by the young Prague architect Ondřej Císler has been dividing Plzeň into two camps since the beginning of preparations, and the city is not counting solely on positive feedback. The fountains, which cost 27 million CZK to realize, will be presented next Thursday evening. The program will include dance performances at each piece along with a light show. This was communicated to journalists by city representatives.
"Now we are just finalizing the details, and technology testing will begin. From my perspective, they turned out well. It was not easy to transport the monolithic basins from China or to create such bronze sculptures," stated architect Císler.
Císler started creating the fountains six years ago. "I created many variants, this one crystallized. In the meantime, several options emerged for fine-tuning, some of which I used, but the basic concept remained the same," said the author. Compared to the original competition proposal, proportions changed, and the fountains will actually be lower. Their surface and shape were also slightly adjusted.
However, Císler came up with the idea of having verses written on the fountains too late. "It remains my dream. My friend, a prominent young Czech poet Petr Borkovec, wrote poems specifically for these fountains. He wrote beautiful texts, but it was not realized. Perhaps later," he noted. Personally, he hopes that the people of Plzeň will come to love "his" works.
According to project director for Plzeň 2015 Milan Svoboda, reactions from the citizens on the website regarding the modern work are coming in daily for and against, with opinions emerging that such sculptures do not belong in a historic square. "Few people can actually imagine them in real life. They bring to the square only what has been happening all along; the square is a layered matter from Gothic times to modern elements. The fountains prove that Plzeň is capable of something other than just the traditional," said Svoboda.
According to Deputy Mayor Marcela Krejsová, one must be prepared for the fact that the exceptional deviates from the standard and is not widely accepted. "I am glad that discussions will arise. The Eiffel Tower sparked huge discussions, as did the pyramid in Paris. Only time will show how quality it is. Exceptional works have always provoked wild debates," she stated. With the idea of verses on the fountains, Císler reportedly came too late. "If someone raises it as a topic and the representatives agree to it, it can be completed," she added.
The fountains will stand in three corners of the square just like before, with a plague column in the fourth corner. A jury decided on their final appearance in 2003, selecting the winning proposal from 30 others. The sculptures refer to the symbols of the city’s emblem, the heraldic figures of a camel, a greyhound, and an angel. They also remind of the tradition of monumental castings from Škoda Works and utilize black and gold colors, as seen on the Marian plague column.
The unveiling of the fountains is one of the highlights of the summer, focused on Plzeň’s candidacy for the European Capital of Culture for the year 2015.