Zprávy památkové péče 2017, 77(4):355-360

Transgas, an important heritage property of postwar architecture

Veronika Vicherková

Fakulta architektury ČVUT v Praze

The set of buildings at the very threshold of the Vinohrady area in Prague, in the block under the Český Rozhlas (Czech Broadcasting) building, was built in 1966-1976 according to the design of Ivo Loos, Jindřich Malátek, Jiří Eisenreich, and Václav Aulický. It originally served as a control center for the international gas pipeline. Three unusual structures set into an architecturally designed parterre were intended to be the gateway to Vinohrady and to create a transition from the compact built-up area to the open corridor of Wenceslas Square running under the motorway. Even though this intention was not fully implemented, it became an example of a creative and original architecture in the Transgas complex that has a global quality despite its unfavorable historical context.
In 2015, the owner of the property announced his intention to replace the buildings with an administrative area, causing a great response from the professional and lay public. Debates on whether or not to preserve the buildings are still ongoing today and will be closed with the upcoming decision of the Ministry of Culture. The case of demolition of this endangered structure is thus becoming an important milestone in efforts to preserve Czech postwar architecture, for which preservation is still inadequate and is subject to the prejudices and still insufficient knowledge of the values - of this part of the architectural fund. The case has saddled the heritage preservation community with the task of explaining its quality to the public and increasing efforts to expand the number of postwar buildings protected as cultural monuments.

Keywords: postwar architecture, Transgas, heritage protection

Published: December 1, 2017  Show citation