In the competition for the new district in Náchod, 26 proposals were submitted

Náchod - The city hall received 26 designs from architects from the Czech Republic and abroad for an international architectural and urban planning competition for the utilization and development of land from the former textile factory Tepna near the center of Náchod. The jury selected five advancing studios for the second round. The completed designs must be submitted by December 11. The results of the competition, along with all the proposals, should be known in January 2021. A new urban district named Nová Tepna is planned to be created in the area near the Náchod Castle, covering almost three hectares.

According to Mayor Jan Birke (ČSSD), the city hall was positively surprised by the quantity and quality of the proposals received. "It is clear that the purchase of this lucrative land in the center for the city is absolutely unique not only within the Czech Republic but also in Europe. The proposals incorporated not only the city's requirements but, above all, the opinions of the citizens," the mayor stated.

Architects were tasked with designing the character of the district, including public and private services, housing, production, research, and shops. The outcome of the competition should be a territorial study that will serve as the basis for the establishment of the entire new district in Náchod. The current competition has shown, according to the city hall, that there is enough space for public buildings, such as an emergency services station, a fire station, an intergenerational center, a kindergarten, and a community center.

The announcement of the competition was preceded by discussions with experts, the public, relevant authorities, and potential investors since last autumn. Nearly 700 residents of the city expressed their opinions on the appearance of Nová Tepna in a questionnaire.

The author of the winning design will receive a reward of one million crowns. The second place will be awarded 750,000 crowns, and the third place will receive half a million. The remaining two participants in the second round will each receive 200,000 crowns.

The strategic parcel near the Náchod Castle, covering an area of 2.57 hectares, was purchased by the city in June 2018 from JTH Holding for nearly 56 million crowns. After the purchase, the city hall cleared the piles of rubble from the demolished Tepna. Currently, part of the land serves as a parking lot.

JTH Holding intended to build shops on the land. However, the hypermarket project near the castle had many opponents in the town of twenty thousand residents. The company eventually sold the land, along with the piles of rubble, to the city.