Prague - Despite the fact that the National Library building project, the so called "blob", will not be constructed by the end of this government´s tenure, London-based Czech-born architect Jan Kaplický will be reimbursed. In fact, not once but twice.
This is guaranteed by the contract of the international architectural competition Kaplický won two years ago.
The Culture Ministry is prepared to pay this ´double´ compensation, Aktuálně.cz was assured by the ministry's spokesman Jan Cieslar.
Two awards
Last year in March, Kaplický was awarded EUR 160,000 for the winning design in a competition organized and overseen by an group of international architects. In March of next year, he is going to get the same sum again.
"On 2 March 2009 it will be two years since the competition results were first announced. If the winning project is not realized by that time, the winner will be entitled to be re-awarded the same prize. These are the competition rules," explained director of the National Library Vlastimil Ježek.
He ruled out the possibility that the decision on postponing the project ad infinitum can be revoked before March 2009.
Kaplický is not giving up
However, Jan Kaplický himself insists the library will be eventually built, despite Culture Minister Václav Jehlička´s statement that there won´t be any "blob" on Letná Plain.
Kaplický could easily sell the project elsewhere but in ab interview with Aktuálně.cz the architect says his plan is still to build the project on Letná plain in Prague, calling this a fight for "Czech culture".
Read more: To blob, or not to blob. Minister and architect divided
Blob in court?
Meanwhile, Vlastimil Ježek and the National Library representatives who back the project decided to take legal action and filed a charge against an "unknown culprit from Prague's municipality authority."
"Mr Ježek is losing his nerve," Prague mayor Pavel Bém commented on Ježek´s legal action. "And in order not to make his situation worse, I will not comment on the subject any further."
