Matragi Design was fined 150,000 crowns for the demolition of a monument

Prague - For the demolition of a villa in Prague's Ořechovka, the company Matragi Design, co-owned by the famous fashion designer Blanka Matragi, was fined 150,000 crowns by Prague's heritage protectors. The company has appealed the sanction, claiming that the blame for the destruction of the house lies with the construction firm with which they have already severed ties. An administrative appeal process is currently underway, which is in its early stages, said Anna Ješátková, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture, to ČTK.
The designer states that she has been working on the project for over two years, and had planned to establish a museum of her work in the house, which she intended to later donate to the "Czech nation." Due to her work stay abroad, she could not supervise the construction work as needed.
The heritage department of the ministry, as the appeal body, received the appeal on January 27. The Prague heritage protectors decided on the fine on December 18. The company violated the heritage protection law by demolishing the villa without a binding opinion, that is, without the permission of Prague's heritage protectors. The house is located in a heritage zone. The company also faces the possibility of a fine from the construction office of Prague 6.
According to the heritage protection law, the owner of a cultural monument can be fined up to two million crowns for poor maintenance or destruction; in the case of a national cultural monument, the maximum fine is four million crowns; however, such high amounts are not typically imposed in practice. The house in Ořechovka is not individually listed as a cultural monument; it is only part of a heritage zone, thus its heritage protection is lower.
The family house stood in the heritage zone Villa Colony on Pod Vyhlídkou street. In January, the civic association Prague 6 is losing its face alerted about its demolition, stating that the house was reportedly demolished in early December. Information has also appeared in the press in recent days. According to the association's website, Matragi Design obtained the territorial decision and construction permit for the reconstruction, and the intention was not to fundamentally change the character of the house.
According to the heritage protectors' investigation, while a tree fell on the wall of the house, the object was already in very poor condition and partially dismantled at that time. Therefore, the heritage protectors decided to impose a fine.
According to Jiří Kokeš, a lawyer for Matragi, the hired construction company violated building regulations. They allegedly did not prevent the fall of a mature tree onto the house, which then damaged the perimeter wall, and also did not adequately secure the building during the reconstruction. After Matragi Design discovered the wrongdoing, they terminated the contract. Any definitive sanctions, according to Kokeš, will be imposed due to "the objective responsibility of the client as the builder for the construction company's negligence" and cannot be "mixed with the culpability of this situation."
Matragi Design has already submitted a new project for assessment to the National Heritage Institute for a new building that should be one floor higher and will also change the roof. The heritage protectors rejected such a design, arguing that it does not fit into the given locality. However, the final decision will rest with the municipal heritage care department.