In Náchod, a villa could be created according to the design of architect Kaplický

Náchod - In the twenty-thousand-strong town of Náchod, in the area of the Great Spa in the Běloves district, a Platýz villa could be built according to the design by architect Jan Kaplický. The councilors today approved a memorandum between the city and the Kaplicky Centre Foundation, represented by board member, widow of the architect, Eliška Kaplický Fuchsová. Nina Adlof, spokesperson for the city hall, informed ČTK today. All 26 councilors present voted in favor of the memorandum. According to the town's mayor, Jan Birke (Jan Birke for Náchod), this is an extraordinary opportunity for Náchod.

“Incredible horizons are opening up for us, which at this moment seem like a vision. However, if we succeed in building Kaplický's villa in Náchod, our city will gain a completely different dimension, especially in terms of tourism,” stated Birke.

According to the city spokesperson, the purpose of the collaboration with the foundation is to support, promote, and develop architecture and modern art, particularly in connection with the legacy of the Kaplický family. Its aim is to preserve Jan Kaplický's legacy and his vision for future generations. One of the first forms of collaboration will be organizing an exhibition of works by Jiřina Kaplická, mother of Jan Kaplický, in the city exhibition hall. Jiřina Kaplická was born on March 30, 1901, in Náchod and spent a significant part of her life there.

"Last but not least, we plan to organize a seminar together with the Kaplicky Centre Foundation for architects and professional audiences in Náchod on the topic of locating one of the buildings designed by the famous architect Jan Kaplický in the space of the Great Spa. We are discussing a project called Platýz. If the professional community agrees on the location, the city of Náchod is prepared to purchase the license and realize this project in Náchod," said mayor Birke.

According to Czech Television, which highlighted the memorandum today, Kaplický originally designed the villa for the Konopiště Resort. "It is a typical Jan Kaplický, organic shapes, inspiration from nature, arches, no wall will be straight; it amounts to anything up to 100 million," said Jan Kasl, chair of the Czech Chamber of Architects, about the project to ČT.

The Kaplicky Centre Foundation plans to open a creative center, Kaplicky creative centre, in Villa Čerych in Česká Skalice in the Náchod area, according to information from the Náchod city hall. This is a separate project of the foundation, Nina Adlof told ČTK.

Jan Kaplický (1937-2009) was a prominent architect who worked in Britain after his emigration from then-Czechoslovakia in 1968. In 1979, he established the Future Systems studio in London. Among the most significant buildings of Kaplický's studio are the Selfridges department store in Birmingham, the NatWest Media Centre in London, or the Enzo Ferrari Museum. Kaplický died in 2009.

In the Czech Republic, Kaplický's name is most closely associated with the project for a new National Library in Prague’s Letná, nicknamed the octopus or blob. The Future Systems studio won the competition in 2007 with a design that elicited conflicting reactions from both amateurs and professionals. The project ultimately fell through. The closest to realization was the concert and conference center for České Budějovice, nicknamed the manta ray. The city commissioned the project, which also received a construction permit, but the city ultimately backed away from the construction. Kaplický left his mark in the country before his emigration; his name is associated with a house in Braník and the ramp to the villa of screenwriter Jaroslav Dietl.