The Zlín relief by Josef Kaplický could be taken down by the end of the year

Zlín - The damaged sandstone relief in Zlín, created by the father of architect Jan Kaplický, Josef Kaplický, could be removed by the end of the year. The precise date has not yet been determined, said Pavel Čihák, director of the marketing department of the Moravian Savings Bank (MPÚ), to ČTK today. MPÚ is the investor in the reconstruction of the building in the center where the relief is located. The relief was damaged by heavy machinery at the end of October, and citizens alerted the city about the rough removal of the relief.

The city police then called the heritage office to the site, which immediately halted the work. Experts have since been determining how to detach the relief from the building without causing further damage. According to the city hall spokesperson Zdeněk Dvořák, the Zlín magistrate is still dealing with the matter.

"We have not removed the sculpture yet. However, there has been a significant shift, so that we can satisfy all the involved parties. In recent weeks, MPÚ has been in intensive communication with the Zlín city magistrate, and the department of culture and heritage care has provided us with a decision outlining how we can remove the sculpture," said Čihák.

Due to their large weight, individual segments will be supported by a small excavator with a flat bucket. "This bucket will be covered with foam and equipped with a supporting structure that will be inserted into the gap between the relief and the monolithic wall," Čihák noted. MPÚ will then temporarily place the relief in a depositary to prevent its degradation. "We are negotiating further usage, for example with Ms. Eliška Kaplicky, who has expressed interest in the sculpture," Čihák said. The relief was created in 1956.