The representatives were acquainted with the library study - UPDATED

Prague - While just a few weeks ago some Prague councilors referred to the proposed National Library building by Jan Kaplický as a "guzzle", during today’s presentation of the study at the council meeting, no sharp criticism was voiced. The councilors asked Kaplický about the construction budget, how the building in Letná would affect the panorama of Prague, and the fulfillment of the architectural competition conditions.
The architect rejected moving the library to another location. "Find me a city in Europe, in the world, that has a national library on the outskirts. It does not exist," Kaplický stated. According to him, modern transport and short distances are essential for the library. He said there is no point in discussing relocation. "If the city of Prague does not want the library, then it will not have it," added Kaplický.
The building is not green, but the color of champagne, almost golden, Kaplický mentioned at the beginning of the presentation, during which he showed images of the library and Prague. He also pointed out that somewhere ten million books need to be gathered, and the building will have space for five million additional volumes. "We tried to minimize the volume above ground," said the architect.
The height of the proposed building is roughly equivalent to the National Theatre. "The library would be insignificant compared to the new stadium at Sparta for 40,000 people," remarked Kaplický.
Several councilors inquired about the construction budget. Kaplický said it was not included in the competition, but it would be roughly equivalent to three kilometers of highway or a ten-year lease of two fighter jets. Deputy Mayor Markéta Reedová (SNK ED) stated that the automated library system could likely be funded with European money.
Miloslav Ludvík (ČSSD) pointed out that Prague is one of the last European cities with a preserved panorama. However, according to Kaplický, the library would not significantly impact the city's panorama as much as the lookout tower on Petřín. "The development of the city cannot be stopped," emphasized the architect. Jana Ryšlinková (SNK ED) noted that Kaplický's building was the lowest or one of the lowest in the competition.
Petr Hulinský (ČSSD) asked about compliance with the competition conditions. The original rules did not allow placing books underground, which was modified during the competition. If the books were placed above ground, according to Kaplický, the building would be too large above ground. "If there were ten million books, it would be a skyscraper," the architect said. The automatic library system allows volumes to be placed underground, he added.
Kaplický explained at the request of Pavel Žďárský (ODS) how the reconstruction of the building would work. Its façade is to be made of aluminum and glass triangles. "The mosaic on St. Vitus Cathedral is 600 years old; it has lasted. The façade of the library has a similar system," said the architect.
The councilors also noted that there is a lack of visualizations of the design that would show the library in winter. According to Mayor Pavel Bém (ODS), an accurate visualization is important for discussions with heritage specialists and representatives of UNESCO. "Yes, Prague has made land available, for which it bears responsibility, but we certainly did not say that anything can be built there," Bém added.
Vlastimil Ježek, the director of the National Library, apologized at the council for any errors in the entire process. "If something could have been done better than it was, it was because we lacked experience with such a competition," Ježek said. He was also surprised that the experts from the International Union of Architects did not point out inconsistencies in the competition assignment. He also pointed out that, like Kaplický's design, neither did others fulfill all the conditions. For example, the proposal that placed third violated two conditions.
"I did not notice a heated debate," Bém concluded. Former President and supporter of Kaplický’s study Václav Havel also attended to observe. Kaplický described the debate as civilized. "A debate is always good; no one made any statements against or for, and that is what matters," the architect told reporters.
"I consider it very good and important that the councilors could get a more thorough understanding of the matters they will decide on," Havel told reporters. He personally believes that "the library is an excellent design and should be built where it stands." According to Havel, it is somewhat sad that a competition is held for one building first and only then will there be a competition for the concept of the entire Letná. "So far, it has no concept at all. Therefore, the library may seem somewhat strange, sticking out in an unexpected way," the former president stated. He feels good about today's debate and feared it would be worse.
The study sparked discussion immediately after the results of the international architectural competition for the new building were announced. It turned out that the construction of the library in Letná lacks support from several city council members.
Legal, heritage protection, and architectural aspects of the building are now being resolved. Bém had previously stated that it is necessary to address five issues. These are heritage protection considerations, land use, urban planning, adherence to competition rules, and financing of the construction.