Against the approval of the reconstruction of the Prague department store Máj

The Club for Old Prague has turned to Minister of Culture Lubomír Zaorálek and the Mayor of the Capital City of Prague Zdeněk Hřib with an open letter. In it, they urge them to prevent the planned reconstruction of the Máj department store, as it would significantly damage its heritage value, which has already been confirmed by the declaration of the building as a cultural monument. At the same time, it points out the negative role played by the Department of Heritage Care of the Magistrate of the Capital City of Prague under the leadership of its director Jiří Skalický, who makes incompetent decisions clearly in favor of developers and builders, and recommends a replacement for this position.

Text of the open letter:

The Club for Old Prague protests against the authorization of the reconstruction of the Prague department store Máj

Open letter to the Minister of Culture PhDr. Lubomír Zaorálek and the Mayor of the Capital City of Prague MUDr. Zdeněk Hřib:  

The Club for Old Prague firmly protests against the decision of the Department of Heritage Care of the Magistrate of the Capital City of Prague from April 6, 2020, to approve the reconstruction of the Máj department store in Prague on Národní Street. This department store, a work of the renowned Liberec studio Sial from 1972 to 1975, was declared a cultural monument by the Ministry of Culture in October 2006. The approved reconstruction project fundamentally changes the shape of this building towards Spálená Street, thus inappropriately deforming this monument. The height of the building is to be aligned on this side to the same level as the neighboring Quadrio shopping center, thereby depriving the building of its unique cascading silhouette. The Club for Old Prague considers such a change to a heritage-protected building to be completely unacceptable. It also points out that by raising the facade of the Máj department store to the height of the Quadrio shopping center, a monstrous street frontage will be created on this side of Spálená Street, which has no parallel in the historical core of Prague and certainly does not belong in the Prague heritage reserve.
The Club for Old Prague requests the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic to immediately annul this flawed decision of the magistrate's heritage department. The Club calls on the Council of the Capital City of Prague to dismiss the director of this heritage care department from office for this flawed decision and replace him with a more competent expert.

For the Club for Old Prague, in Prague on April 26, 2020
PhDr. Kateřina Bečková, Chairwoman, in signature
Prof. PhDr. Rostislav Švácha, CSc., Member of the Club's Domestic Council, in signature
Mgr. Veronika Vicherková, Member of the Club's Domestic Council, in signature

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