Č. Budějovice has an architectural design for the redevelopment of Senovážné Square

České Budějovice – České Budějovice have an architectural proposal for the structural modification of Senovážné náměstí in the city center. They plan to restore the mill stream, which is currently covered by concrete slabs, build an underground parking garage, and there are also plans for a new building for the Alšova South Bohemian Gallery (AJG). The estimated cost without the AJG building is 450 million crowns, and it could be completed by 2028. This was stated today by Deputy Mayor Juraj Thoma to reporters. The cost of the AJG building is around 800 million crowns, said Aleš Seifert, director of the gallery, to ČTK today.

"Senovážné náměstí is formally a square, but in reality, it does not perform this function. The dominant use of this area today is surface parking. This is a state that is not entirely suitable for the future, as it is a location at the entrance to the city of České Budějovice and there are also very significant public buildings around Senovážné náměstí: the Metropol cultural house, the South Bohemian Museum, the complex of buildings of the Bishop's Grammar School, on the other side the complex of buildings related to the operation of Czech Post," Thoma said to ČTK.

The jury selected the project by Pavel Hnilička Architects+Planners as the winning design. The goal was to restore and make the mill stream accessible, create space for underground parking, and related landscaping, which will result in a large "recreational" green area. The architects also selected a location for the AJG building.

"What captivated the jury, which all voted for this (winning) project, is the large green relaxation area, situated in the main visual axis of the South Bohemian Museum. It somewhat resembles the arrangement of the space in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris," Thoma said. According to him, design work will take at least two years, and construction will take place in several phases.

The underground parking facility is expected to offer 200 parking spaces. The construction of one space costs about one million crowns, so Thoma estimated the costs for the parking garage at 200 million. He noted as a positive that the city reached an agreement with the owners of some commercial properties near the square to contribute their funds to the construction, which would increase the parking capacity.

The city hall plans to redesign Senovážné náměstí by 2028. In the same year, České Budějovice would like to be the European Capital of Culture.