Zlín City Hall is at odds with the architect over the appearance of the underpass in the center

Zlín - The Zlín city hall is in a dispute with the architect and author of the reconstruction plan for the underpass at Náměstí Práce over its final appearance. The underpass was reconstructed last year for more than 40 million crowns, but according to the city hall and the people who approach them, the middle section of the railings on the massive staircase is missing. However, architect Pavel Chládek is resisting its additional installation. The city is determined to install railings on the nine-meter-wide staircase despite his disagreement, councilor Josef Novák (STAN) told reporters today.
    A number of people have pointed out the discomfort and danger of the staircase to the city hall, according to him. "Especially older citizens are afraid to walk in the middle because they fear dizziness. The handles on the sides of the stairs are often crowded. We definitely agree with them; railings in the middle would certainly benefit the functionality of the staircase," Novák stated. According to him, no injuries on the staircase have been officially reported yet. "Unofficially, we have information that there have been some injuries there," the councilor mentioned.
    The city approached the architect with a request to design the addition of railings. He, however, refused, stating that he deliberately did not include railings in the project. "There is no entitlement to it according to the standards; it is not a public building, it is a staircase in public space. It is a monumental staircase leading to Náměstí Práce; as a person ascends it, the individual landmarks of the square gradually reveal themselves. If we were to put railings there, they would significantly obstruct the views and the staircase would degrade into a form of some kind of football stand," Chládek told ČTK and Czech Radio today. According to him, the project considers older people, with handles at the edges of the staircase, escalators, and an elevator in the underpass.
    However, according to city hall representatives, it is important for the staircase to be safe, so the city plans to install railings within six months, even without Chládek’s approval. "Architects are not able to reflect on what a building brings to everyday life," noted the mayor's deputy Ondřej Běták (STAN).
    The city leadership wants to meet with the architect again. Chládek stated in his letter to the city hall that if the adjustment is implemented without his consent, he will be forced to exercise his copyright to return it to its original form. However, today he told ČTK that he will see how to proceed.
    Shortly after the completion of the work, water penetrated into the underpass. "The city tried to eliminate the problem by applying new insulating layers, injections, and changing the drainage method of the facility. Now, it waits to see whether these measures were effective or whether it will be necessary to make repairs to the insulation of the underpass from the upper side, which would mean a significant intervention in the busy roadway," stated city hall spokesman Zdeněk Dvořák.