The company demolished a historically protected villa in Ořechovka

Prague - The company Matragi Design, co-owned by the famous fashion designer Blanka Matragi, has demolished a listed villa in Prague's Ořechovka without permission. As a result, it has received a fine from Prague's heritage protectors. Jiří Skalický, director of the city’s heritage department, informed ČTK today. He did not want to comment on the amount of the fine as the company has appealed against it. The case will now be addressed by the Ministry of Culture. The fine can be up to two million crowns. The company may also receive a fine from the building authority of Prague 6.
    The family house was located in the heritage zone of the Villa Colony on Pod Vyhlídkou street. In January, the civic association Prague 6 is Losing Its Face alerted authorities about its demolition, and the information also appeared in the press in recent days. According to the association's website, Matragi Design obtained a land use decision and building permit for the reconstruction, which was not supposed to fundamentally change the character of the house.
    During extensive renovations, facilities such as a sauna, two garages, and an attic study were supposed to be created, and the technical background was also to be expanded. The permit included plans for the demolition of some ceilings.
    According to the heritage inspectors' investigation, while a tree fell on the wall of the house, the structure was already in very poor condition and partially dismantled at that time. Therefore, the heritage inspectors initiated a sanction procedure against the company and decided to impose a fine. The law allows for a sanction of up to two million crowns. According to Skalický, the amount depends on the severity of the violation, public danger, or whether the company has repeatedly violated regulations. Matragi Design disagreed with the fine and has therefore appealed to the Ministry of Culture.
    The imposition of the fine was welcomed by Ondřej Šefců, director of the Prague regional office of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ). "It is justified because the reconstruction did not proceed as it should have," he told ČTK. According to him, the NPÚ had previously dealt with the project's reconstruction and approved it. "Later, we were presented with the bare fact that it had collapsed," Šefců added.
    Matragi Design has already submitted a new project for a new building to the NPÚ, which is supposed to be one story higher, and the roof is also to be changed. Heritage inspectors rejected such a design, as according to Šefců it is not suitable for the given locality. The final decision will be made by the city’s heritage department.
    The company may also receive a sanction from the building authority of Prague 6, spokesperson Adam Halmoši informed ČTK. The office has already initiated proceedings with the company. "This involves possibly securing the construction site until a decision is made on what can be built anew on the site. The company will also have to provide and explain how it was possible for the villa to be razed to the ground," Halmoši stated.
    The building authority is also requesting a static assessment and a plan on how the builder intends to ensure the safety of the construction site against landslides. "A penalty of up to half a million crowns threatens both Matragi Design and the contracting company," Halmoši added.