Blob, New National Library Discusion

What started as a revolutionary architectural design has now become a full-blown political dispute …or should that be farce? Jan Kaplicky’s design for a new National Library building a few hundred metres from Prague Castle was controversial from the beginning, but the issue no longer makes everyone angry as we have entered a new level – debates.

Until yesterday it seemed there won’t be any new post-modernist Blob building of library in Prague. However, Pavel Bem in the TV Duel at TV Nova agreed with Kaplicky that there will be at least a discussion.

Kaplicky admited, for the first time, there is a possibility of lowering the “eye” of the Octopus, which height is probably the biggest problem. Bem repeated his proposal of putting the Octopus to some other place in Prague. Where, it should be selected by an expert commission where the deputies of the city, National Library, architects, and Mr. Kaplicky would sit.

There is, however, still the problem with lawyers of National Library, who “absolutely excluded” this option. If there would be a new place, there would be a new contest of the building. The other contestants would than challenge the regularity at a court.

For the complex information about Kaplicky’s library check this site