The Grand Prix of Architects has the reconstruction of the White Tower in Hradec Králové

Prague - Only 51 entries have been submitted for the 23rd edition of the Grand Prix for Architects competition organized by the Association of Architects. In the past, it used to be approximately double that number. In the newly established, competing competition organized by the Czech Chamber of Architects, 476 architectural works were submitted. The winners will be announced in November, while the Association of Architects announced theirs today. The Grand Prix was awarded to the reconstruction of the White Tower in Hradec Králové, worked on by the studio Chmelík&partners.

The tower, dating from the 16th century, is one of the most significant monuments in the city. During the reconstruction, all damaged parts were restored in a conservation manner. A contemporary element was then inserted into the cleaned historical space of the tower—metal stairs, landings, exhibition, and interactive elements with educational programs. According to the jury, the repair of the tower is a unique combination of a sensitive heritage approach to the values of the building and the benefits of the active use of this city landmark in the present day. The main prize, along with awards in various categories, was announced today by the organizers at the Trade Fair Palace, where an exhibition of all the competition entries also begins.

In the category of new buildings, the prize was awarded to the laser center building in Dolní Břežany near Prague. The facility, designed by a team of Czech architects led by Viktorie Součková from the Prague branch of Bogle Architects, recently received the international MIPIM architectural award for the best industrial and logistics project, succeeding among 2,500 competitors. The Břežany laser center was officially opened last October and is expected to be fully operational by 2018.

The Association of Architects has recently faced criticism, particularly from younger architects. According to them, the Association does not fulfill its mission and the prestige of its activities, including the Grand Prix for Architects competition and exhibition, is declining. The Grand Prix, intended to showcase the best current architecture in the Czech Republic and present it to as wide an audience as possible, is, according to critics, becoming more of a local event with minimal impact on the general public.

The new award from the Chamber of Architects does not aim to distance itself from the Grand Prix. According to the chamber, the main motivation of the exhibition is to present the results of architects' work to the general public, not only in terms of their aesthetic and technical quality, but primarily in the context of their origin, relationship to the surroundings, and their social contribution.

Chairman of the Association of Architects Miloš Parma defends the Association's functioning against the criticism by stating that it operates solely on the basis of membership fees, sponsorship donations, and grants. However, he notes that this year the competition did not receive a grant either from Prague or from the Ministry of Culture. He points out that the Czech Chamber of Architects has an annual budget of about 24 million crowns, while the Association has a budget in the tens of thousands. A few years ago, the competition was announced jointly by the Association, the Chamber, and the National Gallery, but after a change in the leadership of the Chamber, the two architectural entities have reportedly been unable to reach an agreement, according to Parma.