The best design for the transformation of the space at Mendlovo náměstí consists of blocks and almond trees

Brno - According to the jury, the best proposal for the transformation of the space in front of the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at Mendlovo Square in Brno consists of nine white blocks and an almond orchard. The expert jury awarded the concept by Michal Palaščak and Helena Lukášová second place in the architectural and artistic competition. No first prize was awarded, the Brno City Hall informed in a press release after the results were discussed by the council today. Nevertheless, the jury found proposals that meet the city's requirements outlined in the assignment. Thus, it is possible to negotiate with the awarded participants after the statutory periods have elapsed regarding the assignment of the contract.

The competition was organized by the Office of the Architect of the City of Brno (KAM) in cooperation with the Department of Culture. The aim was to find the best proposal for transforming the place, where an artwork in honor of Queen Elizabeth Rejčka will also be created. A total of 34 participants took part. "Although the competition is the best and most transparent way of selection, we, as expert judges, found none of them convincing enough to award the first prize. However, respecting our submitted recommendations for further development, the awarded proposals have the potential to provide a comprehensive solution of a quality work of art interconnected with the public space," said KAM director Jan Tesárek.

"The selected proposal will provide the public with a green space offering a place for rest and pause in the busy city life. The almond orchard is meant to represent the spiritual dimension of the place, while the concrete blocks symbolize nine manuscripts created for the women's Cistercian monastery. Each of them also bears a Latin word characterizing the dual Czech and Polish queen Elizabeth Rejčka, revealing her rich and dramatic life," said Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS).

According to council member for urban planning Petr Bořecký (ANO), the selected proposal brings a conceptually sober and clearly articulated contribution to the solution of the public space. "Although it relates to the assignment and theme indirectly and non-pathetically, it manages to effectively and aptly handle the attributes, references, and meanings associated with the central figure of the competition. The individual blocks of the artistic element serve both a symbolic role and a practical function, as it is possible to sit or lie in the shade of the almond orchard. Moreover, the proposal is economical," he added.

According to the authors, it was important to decide against figurative sculptural representation. Queen Elizabeth Rejčka does not have a stable iconographic form or attributes with which she would be depicted, they argue. From the second half of May, people will be able to view all 34 proposals at an exhibition at the Urban Center in the Old Town Hall.