Vaclav Havel on architecture.

Jan Kaplicky's futuristic design for a new national library
in the Czech Republic

Václav Havel: "I was delighted that Prague, which has so few beautiful or modern buildings, would finally have an interesting structure that would make architectural history. ... But my delight was premature. Mediocrity and triteness have once again won the day. ... Prague and all our other cities are spreading out like cancers in all directions and destroying large tracts of Czech countryside. ... If you leave Prague you can travel for miles without coming across a single town, street, village or woods - just supermarkets, hypermarkets, car dealerships, administration buildings, warehouses, huge car parks and other anonymous buildings. In sum: mindless nothingness. ... The library debacle is just one small example, but it's typical of these times and particularly of the Czech brand of capitalism."

Vaclav Havel Jan Kaplicky National Library architecture