Benešov will build a school in the barracks, its design will be determined by an architectural competition

Benešov - Benešov will announce an architectural competition for a new design of the former Táborská barracks, aiming to establish a primary school there. However, it is unclear whether the current main barrack building will be part of the school. The so-called bigopalác is structurally sound, but due to its ceiling height and window size, it is unsuitable for classrooms. It could only house offices, storage, or an archive. Whether the city will utilize the original building in the school construction or proceed with its demolition should be clarified after the architectural competition. The city will now select its organizer, said Deputy Mayor Roman Tichovský (ODS) to ČTK.

"Currently, it is in the phase where a material should go to the council, which will mandate the investment department to select the organizer of the architectural competition, and we should start the competition," Tichovský stated. The winning study should also address whether the original barrack building will remain or not. "It depends on the architects and how they approach it," the deputy mayor added.

In the city's committees dealing with the future of the barracks, there has so far been a predominant opinion that the building should be demolished. However, not all councilors agree with that. Some have pointed out in the past that it is a dominant feature of the city known from old postcards.

According to previous information, the new school in the Táborská barracks is expected to be attended by 900 students. It would be a community school used by children from surrounding municipalities. A community school is an institution established by a voluntary association of municipalities; the more than sixteen thousand inhabitants of Benešov aim to address the shortage of school places in the city and the immediate vicinity by establishing it. The association would mainly involve municipalities with which Benešov has agreements on attendance areas and which utilize the capacity of Benešov's schools.

Residential construction has already begun in part of the Táborská barracks, following a regulation plan. The twenty-five-hectare area also anticipates civic amenities. In addition to the school, a kindergarten, a parking garage, or sports facilities are expected to be developed in the dilapidated brownfield. The city recently modified the parking lot in front of the complex, expanding it behind the barrack building as well. This resulted in the creation of two parking areas separated by a fence.