Ten cities will receive proposals on how to modify their public spaces

Prague - Ten Czech cities will receive architectural studies for potential use, according to which they can modify their public spaces. They will have access to the works from the competition for the Peter Parléř Award, this year involving 91 architects, the highest number in its five-year history. The cities will receive not only the three best designs selected by the jury but also all other studies.
    This year, there were also a record-breaking 40 submissions, almost double compared to last year. The jury was most impressed by the study of the architectural solution for the Trčků z Lípy square in Světlá nad Sázavou, prepared by Simona Fišerová and Adéla Středová. The proposal considers unifying various areas of the square, accentuates its individual historical parts, and proposes new buildings, infill of gaps, and facade modifications.
    "I appreciate how creatively the study managed to organize the designated area into new scales with a single intervention while also cultivating it, separating the sacred space of the church from the secular part represented by the town hall, and preparing each space accordingly," stated the chairman of the jury, architect Jaroslav Wertig, today.
    The winning proposal is awarded 200,000 Czech crowns. Two additional prizes are awarded by the competition partners. The award for the original idea of a "landscape square" aimed at the revitalization of the urban parks in Kraslice goes to Igor Kovačević, Yvette Vašourková, and Věra Šatochinová. The prize for contribution to the development of urban architecture will be awarded to Lukáš Pecka, Barbora Šimonová, and Jiří Vokřál for the urban-architectural solution for the "town hall square" in Tišnov, treating the space in front of the town hall as a new square.
    The architectural competition is organized by the Society of Peter Parléř, and it takes place in two rounds. In the first round, cities and municipalities submit their proposals for modifications to public spaces and buildings for the tender. From this, a maximum of ten competition assignments emerge, which become the subject of the architectural competition in the second round.
    The number of cities approached by the society is increasing from 200 to 278 in this year's edition. Approximately 30 cities and municipalities register. The society does not want to select more than ten even in the future to maintain the quality of the competition, said Allan Gintel from the Society of Peter Parléř. According to him, the quality of the work performed is increasing, and more renowned architects are also showing greater interest in the competition.
    This year's competition has a new motto: We are restoring memory, charm, and beauty to cities. Its main benefit, according to the organizers, is the fact that even smaller cities can obtain architectural and urban studies, which they would not have the resources for on their own. The competition helps to reflect on public space and the role of architecture at the local level. Town halls organize public discussions about the proposals.
    During the five-year history of the competition, three proposals have been realized so far - none of which were winners. The relatively small number of implementations is explained by the organizers as the longer time needed from study to construction.