Pelhřimov prepared an architectural competition for the Sports Hotel

Pelhřimov – Pelhřimov has prepared an architectural competition for the Sporthotel and the renovation of the adjacent ice rink. The competition has been allocated two million crowns, including prizes for the winners, and the proposals will be available later this year. This was stated by the city’s deputy mayor, Zdeněk Jaroš.

The city wants to utilize architectural competitions more extensively, as Jaroš believes it is a better way to work with public objects and space. "This is sort of the first swallow, a bit larger with the aim of starting to approach public space in a different way, to attract designers and architects who have not only a good reputation but who will give the space a different appearance that it deserves," Jaroš said. According to him, a testament to the change in approach is that Pelhřimov has a city architect, Petr Uhlíř, since 2020.

The design of an energy-efficient façade for the ice rink is, according to Jaroš, part of the competition's brief, because the rink and the hotel form a single unit.

The city had previously commissioned a small study for the Sporthotel, which explored options for renovation or demolition and the construction of a new facility. The costs were estimated at approximately 70 million crowns.

The approximately 50-year-old Sporthotel currently operates as a dormitory. Its new version is intended to serve as a commercially used hotel, as, according to Jaroš, the city lacks accommodation capacity.

The city also plans an architectural competition this year for the planned renovation of the Chapel of Saint Anne, which was recently transferred from the church. "It will probably be a smaller conceptual competition about how to approach that space, and it’s not just about the chapel, but also the surroundings and their use," Jaroš said.