The preservationists do not like the proposal for the completion of Albatros

Prague - Preservationists are dissatisfied with the intention to complete the Albatros building in Prague on Národní třída. The Old Prague Club is also against it. The corner building with a glass facade belongs to the Prague Property Administration, which plans to expand it towards Na Perštýně street, thereby filling the empty space that separated the modern building from the historic house U Medvídků.
    "The Albatros cube had a glass facade on three sides, giving the impression of a solitaire. This composition of volumes was not only an example of thoughtful integration into the historical development of both streets, which is very diverse in this area, but is also an indispensable part of the object's own value," says the chairwoman of the Old Prague Club, Kateřina Bečková. According to the club, the building is an excellent example of Czech architecture from the 1960s.
    The club has warned the property owner and investor, which is the property administration, the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), and the municipal heritage care department, about the allegedly inappropriate completion. Its director told ČTK today that the mentioned study is available to the municipality. However, he did not state how the city would respond to it, saying that discussions were currently ongoing with experts from NPÚ.
    ČTK was unable to obtain a statement from the property administration. On its website, it offers office spaces ranging from 26 to 3,500 square meters in the existing Albatros building for rent.
    The heritage council of the Prague office of NPÚ reviewed the project of the DAM studio in April and labeled its current form as excluded, NPÚ spokesperson Zdeňka Kalová told ČTK. According to the council, another version of the project in a reduced form needs to be developed.
    The children's book house and publishing house Albatros, designed by Stanislav France, Luďek Hanfa, and Jan Nováček, dates from 1965 to 1969. In 1992, a proposal was made to declare the building a cultural monument. The building underwent reconstruction in 1996 and 1997.
    The heritage institute justifies its decision by stating that the building is located "in a visually exposed position", and proportionally, it has so far retained its undeniable quality, which it could likely lose with the completion.
    "From the perspective of heritage care and the quality of the building, NPÚ prefers to adjust the project so that there is no direct connection of the new building, meaning the alignment of the footprint and height. The proposed design is not in accordance with the regime of heritage protection established for objects in the Prague Heritage Reserve," state the preservationists.