A call to save the VPÚ skyscraper by Josef Havlíček and Karel Honzík
Extract from an essay by Jakub Potůček, art historian.
Translated into English
“In the online version of the daily Metro, an article appeared at the end of November with the catchy headline House of Joy: Žižkov’s landmark awaits revival. Interesting reading? But no, it’s advertising and propaganda at the same time. Hence the list of non-profits, startups and other great creatives that have already been recruited for the lease. And that’s also why the declared care for the values of the important work of Czech functionalism, including respect for its authors, whose names are not mentioned in the text. After all, why should it. After all, it is not about Josef Havlíček or Karel Honzík. What is at stake here is the marketing of emotions, the purpose of which is to tune in and raise expectations so that the moment the concrete form of the reconstruction is revealed, the necessary wow effect will be achieved. This is the only way that few people will notice that the landmark of Žižkov is about to undergo a reconstruction equivalent to building a hypermarket between two courtyards of Prague Castle. …”
