The Club for Old Prague awarded the office building in Lanškroun

Prague - The Old Prague Club Award for a new construction in a historic environment for the year 2008 has been awarded to the office building in the square in Lanškroun, the work of architects Přemysl Kokeš and Mikuláš Medlík. The award was ceremoniously presented today in Prague.
    Modern architecture historian and jury chairman Rostislav Švácha stated that the winning building was designed by an architect from Lanškroun. Despite being in a rural environment that is not any significant center of contemporary Czech architecture, there is an effort to promote quality modern projects there.
    "The task of building an office building directly in the square somewhat limited his creativity. He aimed to complement the quality front of the historic square of the city, established in the Middle Ages. The result is a modern expression that blends with a sense of tradition," said Švácha to ČTK. He characterized the winning project as "a house with windows."
    "It follows the tradition of such austere, half-modern and half-classicizing houses. Proportionally and in scale, this building fits ideally into the square, enhancing it and enriching it in its own way," added the jury chairman.
    The Club has already awarded a new building for the fifth time, which, according to its members, does not disrupt the historic environment, excels in valuable architecture, and cultivates its surroundings. Six other projects were nominated for this award.
    Specifically, the Chapel of St. Anthony in Černá near Měřín by architects Ladislav Kuba and Tomáš Pilař, a bridge over the Ohře River with a lookout tower in Cheb by David Vávra, the extension of the Archdiocesan Museum in Olomouc according to the design of Petr Hájek, Tomáš Hradečný, and Jan Šépka, the residence Kollárova 14 in Prague - Karlín (architects Jaroslav Šafer and Oldřich Hájek), the Metropol hotel on Národní street in Prague (Marek Chalupa, Štěpán Chalupa, Tomáš Havlíček, Martin Rusina), and a multifunctional building in Uherské Hradiště, designed by Svatopluk Sládeček.
    "The mere nomination of these projects is a great success," noted Švácha.
    Although the Old Prague Club, with its long history, mainly advocates for historical buildings and urban environments, its members claim that contemporary architecture definitely belongs in historic contexts. The competition aims to contribute to the dialogue between heritage conservationists and modern architects. In the past four years, awards were given for a family house in Prague - Hlubočepy, the Portheimka Center project for the extension of a rectory in Prague 5, the extension of the castle in Prague - Komořany, and the Monastery of the Mother of God with the Church of the Virgin Mary, which was created by transforming a Baroque courtyard in Nový Dvůr near Dobrá Voda in Karlovy Vary.