Investor in Zlín damaged the relief from the workshop of Josef Kaplický

source: www.zlin.eu

Zlín - Heavy machinery damaged a sandstone relief during the reconstruction of a building in the center of Zlín, authored by Josef Kaplický, the father of architect Jan Kaplický. Construction work on the building on Tomáš Baťa Street began on October 28, and citizens alerted the city about the removal of the relief. Work on the building is now halted, and together with the investor, a way is being sought to remove the relief from the structure without further damage, said Zdeněk Dvořák, spokesperson for the Zlín city hall, to ČTK today. The investor is Moravský peněžní ústav (MPÚ).

"The building permit from 2008 explicitly states that in the case of reconstruction of the building, the relief must be carefully removed and applied in the interior of the building," the spokesperson stated. The city immediately responded to the citizens' information. "The municipal police called in the heritage office, which immediately halted the work. Now the state administration is acting. I must admit that I am very disappointed with this way of acting by the investor," stated Mayor Miroslav Adámek (STAN).

The matter will now be evaluated in light of heritage law. "If culpability is proven, a fine of up to two million crowns can be imposed. So far, we have focused on stopping the work and finding a gentle method for removing the relief, to which we will invite the National Heritage Institute," said Kateřina Pešatová, head of the culture and heritage protection department of the city hall.

The department of building and transportation proceedings of the city hall will also focus on the reconstruction of the building. "We will conduct a control inspection to determine whether the construction work is being carried out in accordance with the approved project documentation," said Helena Stündlová, head of the construction administration department.

According to Pavel Čihák, director of the MPÚ marketing department, the construction work on the new central branch of MPÚ was properly reported and approved by the construction and National Heritage Institute. "It is essential for MPÚ to create a high standard of services for clients during the reconstruction of the building, while also respecting the requirements of heritage representatives. The company that removed the sandstone sculpture from the front facade conducted an anchoring survey and chose the best possible technique for removing the sculpture based on its overall weight," Čihák told ČTK today.

Architect Pavel Míček also pointed out the careless removal of the relief. "I couldn't believe my own eyes. Workers were breaking it into pieces with heavy machinery and clearing it away with an excavator into nearby containers for construction debris," he stated. The department of urban planning and architects of the city hall also expressed criticism. "I assume that the removal was carried out in violation of heritage protection requirements, and above all, I doubt that the author's rights were addressed. I hope that this barbaric behavior can be prevented and that it will not serve as a guideline for other investors on how to destroy further artworks in our city," said department head Dagmar Nová. The relief was likely created in 1956.

More here.