Ihned.cz: Court criticises Kaplický's 'blob' victory

Prague, June 28 (CTK) - A Czech court has decided that architect Jan Kaplicky's London-based studio won the international competition for a new building of the National Library (NK) in Prague unrightfully in 2007 and it has imposed a fine on the NK over it, IHNED.cz server reported yesterday.

The Prague district court accepted the arguments of the HSH Architects studio that filed a complaint against the competition jury's decision, saying the conditions were changed when the competition was underway.

The court ruled that the jury had chosen the Czech-born Kaplicky's design at variance with the original conditions, and ordered that the NK must pay a fine amounting to the difference between the second and third prices, that is 50,000 euros.

The verdict has not taken effect yet.

The NK representative said she expected the library to appeal the verdict, the server wrote.

The HSH Architects studio says the NK, via the jury and its representatives in it, did not assess the contest justly and that it was changing conditions during the competition.

One of the original conditions was to place the National Conservation Fund above the ground, which Kaplicky's project did not fulfil.

The HSH studio filed a complaint in the autumn of 2007.

The architects previously turned to the Anti-Trust Office (UOHS) but the office repeatedly said it was not authorised to assess the international architectonic contest since it can only deal with competitions held under the law on public procurement.

The design of Kaplicky's blob-like building dubbed octopus won the competition for the National Library in Prague in March 2007. However, the design stirred up controversial reactions and was opposed by the ruling politicians from the Prague City Hall.

Though fans of Kaplicky collected thousands of signatures and staged demonstrations in support of his library, the project was postponed indefinitely.

Kaplicky died in January 2009 aged 71, only a couple of hours after his 40 years younger wife gave birth to their daughter.