While many Prague officials fiercely oppose Czech-born British architect Jan Kaplický's blob design for a new National Library and give it derogatory nicknames such as "sputum" or "phlegm", abroad it is receiving admiration and envy. Yet, Prague Assembly, dominated by the right-wing Civic Democrats (ODS) voted in mid-December to shelve what was to be the single most important gem of modern architecture in the Czech Republic.
