Critics of the library competition want the minister to abolish it

Prague - Critics of the ongoing competition for the construction of the new building of the National Library demand that the Ministry of Culture declare the results of the competition invalid. They claim that mandatory conditions were violated during the international competition, criticize the jury's decision-making process, and allege the concealment of competition materials. Twenty-two Czech and foreign architects have therefore written an open letter to the Minister of Culture Václav Jehlička, in which they demand that the office, as the founder of the National Library, take responsibility for handling the competition results.
Critics particularly object to the alleged violation of a mandatory condition of the competition, according to which the national conservation fund of the library was to be located above ground. The winning proposal by Jan Kaplický has it underground.
The signatories of the letter were also supported today by the Czech Chamber of Architects, which raised concerns about the alleged irregularities of the competition shortly after its results were announced. Just like eight Czech architectural firms, the chamber also requested an investigation into the competition's proceedings from the International Union of Architects. According to the director of the National Library Vlastimil Ježek, only the union can cancel the competition. According to the signatories of the open letter, the competition should be canceled by its organizer, namely the National Library, or its founder, which is the Ministry of Culture.