Letter from the Chairman of the Board of ČKA to the Minister of Culture regarding the implementation of the construction of the Science Library of the Moravian-Silesian Region

Subject: Scientific Library of the Moravian-Silesian Region

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Dear Minister,

In connection with the establishment of closer cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and the Czech Chamber of Architects (hereinafter referred to as ČKA), we address you with the following proposal and request for assistance.

Despite public protests, the process aimed at cancelling the construction of the Scientific Library of the Moravian-Silesian Region (hereinafter MSK) according to the project by architects Kuba and Pilař is ongoing in Ostrava.
This project, which is fully prepared for the selection of a contractor, could see the construction of the library starting in the spring of next year, following five years of careful preparation:

• issuing and conducting a regular architectural competition according to the rules of ČKA,
• evaluation of the competition by a professional jury composed of representatives of MSK, librarians, and architects, and selection of the winning proposal,
• development of project documentation including the addition of a parking structure for the wider needs of the city, particularly for the nearby Janáček Philharmonic in Ostrava,
• obtaining a building permit,
• preparation of documentation for contractor selection
• complete securing of financing from MSK, the state, and the EU.

This process, which has been repeatedly approved by the regional council of Moravian-Silesian Region (both before and after elections) and which we estimate to have incurred financial costs of approximately 25 million CZK, is now to be terminated.

The initial arguments presented by the governor of MSK to justify this decision have been successfully countered by me and my colleagues architects Kuba and Pilař: the construction is not megalomaniac:

• its costs – around 11,000 CZK/m³ – are reasonable, even somewhat lower than this year's opened National Technical Library in Prague - Dejvice
• the costs cited in the competition in 2004 were not included in the binding conditions of the competition; at the stage of the competition proposal, their exact amount cannot be specified; the construction was also expanded to include the mentioned parking facility.

Moreover, the regional council had accepted these financial costs at the beginning of this year.
Further arguments cited can be similarly refuted:

• the operational costs of the new construction of the MSK Scientific Library are comparable to libraries in other regions.
• any new library construction will surely have higher operational costs than the current temporary facility in the building of the Ostrava City Hall,
• the proposed approach - to build the library significantly cheaper - is not understandable,
• the current project includes equipment that corresponds to the two universities in Ostrava as well as the number of students and residents in the region,
• to proceed with the construction of the library without an architectural competition and based on a public commercial competition for the construction contractor is an uncultured step backward.

Dear Minister, we ask you, as a supporter and connoisseur of music, to advocate for good architecture - after all, they have so much in common.

We believe that it will be possible - based on a transparent and customary process in democratic states - to continue our traditions and construct a high-quality building, welcomed by citizens and the public alike. It has been aptly named "The Black Cube." Ostrava, which is competing for the title of City of Culture this year, certainly deserves it.

With friendly regards