Jan Kaplický’s controversial design for the Czech National Library continues to tempt investors and developers. Nicknamed “The Octopus”, the building was never realized on the Letná plain in Prague 7 because of the arguments it provoked within Prague’s political leadership.
Now, the daily Právo writes that negotiations are currently underway between Kaplický’s widow Eliška Kaplický and the developers from the Sekyra group. The idea is reportedly to adapt the design for a cultural and social center that would be built on the land Sekyra is set to develop on Rohan Island in Prague 8.
The controversy surrounding the building went to the top of the country’s political leadership, fueling long-simmering tensions between former president Václav Havel and current president Václav Klaus, who fiercely opposed the building. The architect’s widow told Právo that if Karel Schwarzenberg wins this week’s presidential election, she’s hopeful the project might finally go through. Prague 8 has not yet granted the building planning permission.
