The transformation of the slaughterhouse in Ostrava is hindered by a dispute over the wording of the contract

Ostrava - The transformation of the historic building of the former slaughterhouse near the center of Ostrava is becoming complicated. The city has not yet signed a contract with the winner of the architectural competition, which was won by the Prague studio Petr Hájek Architekti. An open letter from the competition winners addressed to the city leadership and the competition commission, which is available to ČTK, indicates that the draft contract prepared by the city is unacceptable to the architectural studio, which architect Hájek confirmed directly today. The city does not want to comment on the matter for now. According to the spokesperson of the magistrate, Andrea Vojkovská, a statement will be made at the press conference on Wednesday.

"The draft contract for the public procurement is, in my opinion, not only unbalanced in terms of established rights and obligations, but is even formulated unambiguously in favor of the contracting authority," stated Hájek in the open letter.

According to him, this fact is reflected not only in the disproportionate amount of contractual penalties but especially in conditions that do not allow for the standard flow and interconnection of individual actions.

"As an example of the imbalance of the contract and draconian conditions for the contractor, one can mention the authority of the client to suspend payments for already provided and ongoing services, without justification of a breach of contract on the part of the contractor, or any other professional misconduct, which I have never encountered in practice," added Hájek. He stated that he could not proceed with signing the contract because, under these conditions, it would represent not only economic but also professional risk for his company, given the scope and significance of the project.

Hájek added that if the current situation can be resolved, he is still willing to participate in the project to transform the slaughterhouse, which will house the new headquarters of the PLATO Ostrava city gallery in the future.

"I firmly believe that if possible, the statutory city of Ostrava will take the above into account and will try to remedy the situation or at least reflect my raised objections in some of the upcoming architectural competitions it will announce," concluded Hájek.

The municipal slaughterhouse was established in 1881. However, in 1994, the city district of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz sold the two-hectare plot along with the slaughterhouse building to the company Bauhaus for more than 38 million crowns. The company built its hobby market in close proximity to the slaughterhouse. However, the slaughterhouse fell into disrepair and was never repaired, and the store later also ceased operations. The city has long been trying to regain the listed slaughterhouse, and it took it over last September. It paid 80 million crowns for it and the former Bauhaus store.