The association disagrees with the mayor's patronage of the architecture event

Prague - Members of the Green Party and civic associations from Prague 6 do not agree with the patronage given by Mayor Tomáš Hudeček (TOP 09) to the conference on architecture. According to them, it should relate to the controversial Line project, which is set to be built on municipal land at Vítězné Square. However, the organizer denies that the conference is directly about the Line project. The event, sponsored by the project's investor, is invite-only, and opponents have not been given the opportunity to participate, claims opposition councilor Petra Kolínská (SZ). Furthermore, the municipality will decide on the appeal regarding the placement of the building. They therefore demand that the mayor withdraw his patronage and refuse the invitation to the conference. The mayor's statement is being verified by ČTK.
    The representative of the Line project investor, the Vítězné náměstí company, rejects the interpretation of the civic initiatives. "This is not a presentation of the Line project," spokesperson Jan Piskáček told ČTK. "None of the Vítězné náměstí representatives intends to participate in the conference with a presentation," he objected to the claim. According to him, Vítězné náměstí, which belongs to the PPF Real Estate group, supports a number of similar events.
    The proposal for the administrative building by architect Radan Hubička has sparked mixed reactions from the public and experts, which is regularly the case with unconventional architecture. The question of whether the investor will receive permission for the construction, which will fundamentally change the character of the square, has been under discussion for several months. The Vítězné náměstí company obtained a zoning decision for the Line project at the end of last year.
   "The Line project is being built on land owned by the City of Prague, and the municipality will be deciding on the appeal against the placement of the building in the coming months," Kolínská stated. "The event is not a platform for critical exchange of opinions with the aim of finding the best solution, but an attempt to create a positive public opinion about controversial buildings in Prague," she added. The initiatives respect the rights of private individuals to organize promotional events, but consider the mayor's patronage and his participation to be "unacceptable." They will therefore approach Hudeček with an open letter.
    The conference titled "Foreign Countries as Inspiration for Modern Architecture in Prague" will take place on Thursday at the National Technical Library. It will feature several Czech and foreign architects, including the author of the Line design. According to the invitation, the contributions should focus on selected projects of modern architecture both abroad and in the Czech Republic. "That some will be dedicated directly to the Line project does not follow from the program," claims Piskáček. "It is one of twenty expert conferences that Euro holds annually," said Tomáš Skřivánek from Mladá fronta a.s. "If we want to talk about modern architecture, it is necessary for architects, developers, and representatives of self-government to discuss. The mayor's patronage is a standard matter," he added.
    There have been heated debates regarding the construction at the Dejvice town hall. Opponents of the building complained about the bias of the town hall leadership and the building office. Opposition councilors and civic associations criticized the coalition for past decisions regarding the municipal land, on which the town hall decided, instead of its previously planned new building, to build a commercial building in cooperation with a private investor. Prague 6 ultimately withdrew from the project. However, the investor retained a right of first refusal on the land.
   The building, which people have begun to nicknamed "Polar Bear," is supposed to complete the currently open block of buildings at Vítězné Square. The investor claims that the construction, in addition to administrative spaces, will bring new public services, including a café, smaller shops, and other services. Last year, the project was awarded as the best architectural project in the prestigious Building of the Year competition.