The Zlín town hall rejected the study for the transformation of the castle; people did not like it

Zlín - Zlín City Council has rejected the proposed revitalization study of the castle, created by architect Pavel Míček for the non-profit organization Zlínský zámek. The city owns the monument, Zlínský zámek has it on lease, and is trying to revive and restore it. Míček presented his study at the end of last year, but it was criticized by people, for example, on social media.
     The most prominent proposed intervention is the placement of a modern extension, which would replace the castle's roof. The city then asked residents in a survey whether they liked the study. It was disliked by 2,655 voters, while 95 expressed support, said deputy mayor Ondřej Běták (STAN) to reporters today.
     Those responsible for heritage preservation also disagreed with the proposed revitalization of the castle, considering some interventions to be unacceptable. According to Běták, the proposal is also unpopular with the city council. "We will definitely not support the revitalization of the castle according to this proposal," he stated. The council only got to know about the study at the same time as the public, after its completion. "The architect slightly overstepped; it was a mistake that he had completely free rein," said the deputy, who also criticized the fact that the architect did not consult the matter with preservationists.
     The reaction from the residents of the regional city, which has about 75,000 inhabitants, was according to city hall spokesperson Zdeněk Dvořák the largest in recent years, while other surveys generally receive responses from hundreds of people. Recently, over 2,000 survey ballots were collected on the question of preserving the post office in the city center. "The most reactions were undeniably regarding the proposed shape of the roof, and all were negative. Voters, on the other hand, did not criticize the use of the castle's interior spaces, where, according to the proposal, a museum dedicated to architecture, a restaurant, café, or ceremonial hall is supposed to be established," Dvořák noted.
     Zlínský zámek representative Kateřina Martykánová told ČTK today that the organization had not been officially informed about the results of the survey or the city's decision. "The city has only promised us the creation of a working group that will contact us about the next steps. The residents' reactions did not surprise us; we respect them. We realize that our solution is bold, and we expected it would provoke discussion. For us, more interesting are the suggestions and constructive proposals we receive from our survey on the website www.zlinskyzamek.cz, where it is also possible to get acquainted with the complete architectural study," said Martykánová.
     Most of the costs for Míček's study were covered by Zlínský zámek; the city contributed 200,000 crowns for the proposal of internal use of the building. "The money was used for what it was intended, but it is still unclear whether it was used meaningfully. We have not been officially introduced to the study yet," Běták pointed out. According to him, the city is likely to announce an architectural competition for the restoration of the castle.
     Despite the disagreement with the proposed study, the city hall positively assesses the collaboration with Zlínský zámek. "Thanks to it, the castle continues to thrive after the departure of the regional museum and gallery. The Václav Chad Gallery already has its regular visitors, and we are pleased with all the other events it supports," noted deputy mayor Patrik Kamas (ANO).