Prague’s historic quarter will soon be welcoming the purple and yellow blob you see here, a 48 meter tall building project set to house the new Czech National Library. The jellyfish-like structure designed by Jan Kaplicky already has some riled up - including the Mayor of Prague as well as the President of the Republic, according to The Guardian. Kaplicky’s design was chosen from 350 entries to an international design competition for the library. It includes reading rooms and public spaces above ground, with the library’s 10 million books situated underground, retrieved via an automated system.
While the top officials worry about the new design’s place among Prague’s historic architecture, the public (atleast 12,000 city inhabitants) have petitioned to have the daringly modern building constructed. And Kaplicky is determined to see the project’s completion, appearing on national television to debate its merits with the Mayor of the city and presenting the design to the Deputies in December.
[via Luxist]
I remember Frank Gehry, the author of fabulous Guggenheim museum said once:
“The problem of our age is, people accept trivial buildings as something inevitable, but if somebody tries to do something more respectable, it differs and is questioned.”
That is soo true about Czech architecture, in Prague as well; office massives without any point sprung everywhere, but if anybody tries to do something original, morons like the president Vaclav Klaus would do anything to squeeze the fresh air out of them, so they (architects) would be as dull and empty like he is.
January 9th, 2008 at 6:08 am