Narbříž of the Svratka River - competition announcement

The statutory city of Brno has announced an international single-round architectural and landscape competition for the River Svratka waterfront. The subject of the competition is the landscape and urban design of the Brno waterfront along the River Svratka in an area defined by the exhibition grounds to the west and the main railway station to the east. It aims to be a comprehensive revitalization of the urban space associated with flood protection measures, while concurrently creating a strategy for both active and passive use of the currently neglected value of the city represented by the River Svratka. The submission deadline for competition proposals is February 28, 2017.
This competition, aimed at making the river accessible and increasing the protection of property and the safety of Brno’s residents, is part of the city’s vision for its further development. A strategic concept for addressing the banks of the Svratka is expected from the proposal, accompanied by a plan for thoughtful acupuncture interventions reflecting the changing character of both the northern and southern banks from east to west. The proposal should consider the diverse social composition of residents who will use the waterfront for pleasant walks, sports activities, and cultural events in all their forms and throughout different seasons. Therefore, in addition to the landscape and flood protection design, competitors are also required to present a vision for the use of the addressed area and its parts - a kind of palette of scenarios and possibilities that will illustrate what could happen in the area.
We expect participants to make the most of the potential offered by the immediate vicinity of the river flow - a high concentration of office and administrative buildings, but also residential ones, the proximity of the station, and the city center on the eastern edge of the area, as well as the cycling paths that pass through here. At the same time, all interventions should, if possible, be conceptualized as nature-friendly. Such interventions must be well thought out in their simplicity or complexity. Let us remember that the riverbed must primarily be sufficiently capacious to ensure the protection of buildings against floods - the designs should bring greening to the waterfront and create nature-friendly solutions that will revitalize the waterfront and improve the stereotype of the regulated flow. Along the banks of the River Svratka, not only could speedwell flourish, but also a rich cultural and social life.
The addressed area stretches along the Svratka river for approximately 3 km. On the left bank, it starts with the area between the Riviéra swimming pool and the exhibition grounds, and on the right bank, it begins at the Kamenná colony. It ends at the surroundings of the railway viaduct between Pražákova and Uhelná streets. Between the street fronts of both banks of the river lies a "public" space whose use, although linked to the rules of riverbed regulation, spatial planning limits, and planned flood protection measures, also conceals significant potential for the city and its residents.
The site addressed by this competition is the only real interface between the river and the city. The River Svratka does not penetrate the urban development elsewhere and is also the most inaccessible here. Therefore, it is an exceedingly complicated area that presents a great challenge for participants and a unique opportunity for the city of Brno.
The competition is international and open to all professionals who are entitled to operate as architects or civil engineers according to the laws of the respective EU member state, the European Economic Area (EEA), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and Switzerland, which has a bilateral agreement with the EU.

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