Plzeň announced an architectural competition for a swimming pool in Borská pole

Plzeň – Plzeň has announced an architectural competition for a new indoor swimming pool in Borská pole, which is expected to cost between 250 and 300 million CZK. The deadline is February 21. A professional jury will evaluate the proposals immediately after, and the results and recommendations will be provided to the city councilors, while the city will exhibit the proposals. The pool will be located next to the campus of the University of West Bohemia as a replacement for the outdated swimming pool on Kozinova Street in Plzeň. It will serve the swimming club, lifeguards, and the public. The councilors approved the competition, and the conditions have already been confirmed by the Czech Chamber of Architects. It is not an aquapark, but a swimming pool; investment is anticipated to take place between 2023 and 2024, said the first deputy mayor Roman Zarzycký (ANO). Support from the National Sports Agency (NSA) is expected.

"The subject of the competition is the design of a new building in the Borská pole area on a plot owned by the city. Our intention is for it to consist of a multifunctional swimming hall with an outdoor swimming pool, sports facilities, and recreational areas," said the technical deputy mayor Pavel Šindelář (ODS). Complete information about the competition is available on the website. According to Šindelář, this is an important public building in a prominent location, so it was logical to organize an open architectural competition. "It provides a chance to compare diverse proposals; the number of participants is not limited. The anticipated prizes and rewards are valued at three million CZK," he stated.

The site is next to the NTIS research center and a tram stop. "The purpose of the competition is to find and evaluate design solutions, including links to the broader university area and the tram line. The final word will again rest with the city council, which will decide on the results. Following that, a public presentation of all proposals will be organized, and negotiations with the winner regarding contractual terms will commence," said Irena Vostracká, director of the city’s planning and development department.

The competition will be followed by an order to develop project documentation for the zoning decision and building permit for the first phase and studies for subsequent parts. The estimated cost of acquiring all stages of documentation is about 22 million CZK, and the city already has the money earmarked. According to the council's resolution, the project will be divided into a basic phase and a subsequent one with a relaxation complex, where accommodation with a restaurant, wellness facilities, slides, and an outdoor pool could be created. There should also be parking or a parking garage included. The first phase should be directed towards occupancy approval at the turn of 2024 and 2025, and we expect co-financing from national sources, Zarzycký said.

Currently, there are three indoor swimming areas in Plzeň, two of which are municipal. The largest is in Slovany; the other two – Radbuza on Kozinova Street, which belongs to the SK Radbuza sports club, and a smaller pool in Lochotín – require significant investment. "The city needs a pool. A modern 25-meter pool is missing, and considering the number of schools and clubs here, it will sustain itself through conditioning swimming. And who knows how long Lochotín will operate, which requires investment, and I won’t even mention Kozinova. There are many clubs in the Slovany pool, and there is no space for the public," said the head of the sports department Přemysl Švarc. The new pool would be managed by SK Radbuza, and the city would take over the pool on Kozinova Street.