The renovation of Klementina will likely have to be postponed

Prague - The planned renovation of the Clementinum, which houses the largest library in the Czech Republic, is likely to be delayed and the plans will have to be revised. This was stated today by the spokesperson for the National Library (NK), Kateřina Nováková. The opinion of the librarians is influenced by a statement from the Minister of Culture (MK) Václav Jehlička, who said last week that a new library building will not be built in Letná. Today, a presentation of academic projects also took place. If there were to be a sensitive architectural intervention in the historical structure, the library's capacity would significantly expand.
    "Revitalization has not yet begun. Preparatory work and the selection of a designer have been completed. It is not yet possible to determine the timeline for the relocation of modern collections and services from the Clementinum, and therefore the timeline for revitalization is also changing," said Nováková.
    The renewal of the Baroque complex has been divided by the NK into three phases, but the essential one depends on the existence of a new building. The reconstruction, which began two years ago, is proceeding regardless of the problems with the new construction. The second phase is likely to occur this year after the relocation of the holdings of the State Technical Library, and the third is planned only after the completion of the new building, where the modern library collections are to be relocated. The renovation of the historical building was also supposed to address flood protection measures.
    Last week, Jehlička declared that the new NK building according to the design of architect Jan Kaplický will not be constructed in Letná, Prague. According to him, the project was poorly prepared. This likely concluded months of speculation about whether the proposal from the renowned architect arising from an international architectural competition in Prague would be realized.
    The Ministry of Culture wants to discuss the situation with the NK management, but has not yet sent it an official statement. "We will focus more on the renovation of the Clementinum because we want to maximize its use for providing quality services to readers and complete the depositories in Hostivař," responded the ministry spokesperson Jan Cieslar. According to him, the depositories could serve other institutions in the future. Currently, they only store rarely requested documents from the NK.
    Today, eight student projects were also presented at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. According to the head of the architecture department at AVU, Emil Přikryl, they were created independently of the discussions about Kaplický's "blob," the ministry, and the NK itself. According to him, the students' analyses utilize the possibilities of the Baroque complex, preserve its meaning, and incorporate modern architectural elements. These could allegedly help expand the library's capacities for several decades to come.
    For the management of the library, the new building has been a priority and one of the conditions for the revitalization of the Clementinum. Its Baroque complex is among the most significant monuments in Prague and covers an area of approximately two hectares. Its origins are linked to the arrival of the Jesuits (1556), who built a complex of ecclesiastical and educational buildings on the site of a Dominican monastery. Currently, according to the NK, it has exhausted storage capacities, inadequate conditions for storing books, and for working employees.
    The NK management has therefore been warning for several years that the capacities of the Clementinum are insufficient, and a crisis of space shortages may arise as early as 2010. They have been striving for the construction of a new building for four years. The facility should accommodate around ten million volumes, which is a reserve for about 50 years. However, the future of the project has been at a standstill for over a year and has become a political issue.
    The director of the NK, Vlastimil Ježek, intends to open the Clementinum more - in addition to its library function, he wants the library to be visitor-friendly and educational. This fact faces resistance from some individuals in academic circles, who fear that Clementinum could become a tourist attraction.