Competition: CAMPUS ALBERTOV – BIOCENTER, GLOBCENTER

A great challenge lies ahead for architects. The Rector of Charles University, Prof. MUDr. Tomáš Zima, DrSc., together with the deans of the faculties involved in the research centers program, agree with the independent part of the jury that, alongside the urban and architectural quality of the proposals, they will closely monitor aspects affecting the operational costs of both buildings. Josef Pleskot clarified at a press conference what the jury will be looking for in the proposals: “We will be looking for a project that meaningfully connects to Albertov's heritage and that will activate all external ties of the surrounding context into the new buildings; it must have developed what are currently only suspected relationships and the logistics of the whole, creating a synergistic environment for all its future users. The sustainability of the proposal, which is rightly emphasized in the competition's assignment, is an irreplaceable function of the buildings we produce for life.”

Alongside its chairman, Rector Tomáš Zima, the judging panel for the competition includes Jiřina Kurzová, who heads the Construction Department at Charles University, architect and urban planner Jan Sedlák, Vice-Rector for Scientific Activities Jan Konvalinka, and project manager for the Albertov Campus Miroslav Dvořák.

The independent expert part of the jury, alongside its vice-chairman architect Josef Pleskot, includes dean of the Faculty of Architecture at Czech Technical University in Prague Ladislav Lábus, Dalibor Hlaváček, who led a successful interdisciplinary student team in the American Solar Decathlon competition in 2013, engineer Ladislav Bukovský, and architects Michal Fišer and Pavel Hnilička.

The competition is announced as a two-round affair; the deadline for submitting proposals in the first round is January 15, 2016, and in the second round proposals are submitted by June 21, 2016. The prizes are as follows: 1st place 1,500,000 CZK, 2nd place 1,000,000 CZK, and 3rd place 700,000 CZK. The contract that will follow the competition and for which funds are already secured will certainly be the best prize.
The nearest important date for interested participants in the competition is September 16, 2015, when a seminar organized by Charles University will take place, also involving experts who participated in preparing the assignment. Given its complexity, this seminar complements the usual question submission. The seminar begins at 9:00 AM, and registration is required.

All necessary information, including materials for the competition, is available HERE

Announcement of the competition for design
Charles University in Prague
Ovocný trh 3/5
116 36 Praha 1

Organizer of the competition and author of the competition conditions
CCEA Centre for Central European Architecture
U Půjčovny 4, 110 00 Praha 1
Tel.: +420 222 222 521

announcement on ČKA website >

Charles University will have the long-awaited research campus in Albertov

Prague (press release from Charles University) – Charles University has announced an architectural competition for the construction of two new research centers in Prague's Albertov. This represents the largest construction project by Charles University in the center of Prague in the last hundred years. In an area currently inhabited by several thousand students and academic staff of the university engaged in studying, researching, sports, and living, new modern scientific workplaces, state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, as well as cafeterias and social meeting places will be created. Thus, the Albertov Campus will become a significant center for natural science and medical research at Charles University. The opening of the new campus is planned for early 2022. The jury of the architectural competition will include notable Czech architects Josef Pleskot and Ladislav Lábus.

In the Albertov area in Prague 2, scientific centers Biocentrum and Globcentrum will be established over the next few years. These will serve as a base for studying, especially at the master's and doctoral levels. There will also be an effort to attract top foreign experts to these centers. The new Albertov Campus will continue to serve the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, the 1st Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Science at Charles University. “The project presents a great challenge for further planning and development of Charles University. It is a unique location for concentrating research and educational activities of several faculties near the city center,” stated the Rector of Charles University Prof. MUDr. Tomáš Zima, DrSc.

The research at Biocentrum will be focused on understanding living systems in the service of human health, new biotechnologies, and biodiversity protection. A wide range of laboratories of different types (chemical, biochemical, molecular biology, or physical) is planned in the building, as well as spaces for special technologies (e.g., optical and electron microscopes, mass spectrometers, etc.), offices, seminar and lecture rooms, as well as other “non-scientific” spaces, such as study rooms, spaces for poster exhibitions, a café, a student club, and others.

The research at Globcentrum will focus on various aspects of global changes, such as the dynamics of the planet's climate change, changes in species distribution, global biodiversity dynamics and species spread, vegetation dynamics in old and modern landscapes, natural threats and risks, land use changes, and the impacts of these processes on society. This building will also feature laboratories, offices, a cafeteria, seminar, and lecture rooms. After completion, the Albertov Campus will also offer additional “non-scientific” spaces, such as study rooms, spaces for poster exhibitions, a café, a student club, and others.

The future number of employees in both centers is estimated to be over 1,200 combined. Lecture halls and classrooms in both buildings of the future Campus will have a combined capacity of nearly 900 people and will be intensively used for teaching, especially for undergraduate students from the participating faculties, as well as for other educational or conference activities. One of the main goals of the project is also to involve top foreign scientists in the teams that will work at the Albertov Campus.

The architectural competition was announced on September 1, 2015. The planned opening of the Campus is at the beginning of 2022. The estimated construction cost is approximately 2.5 billion CZK, and the project will be financed from the funds of the state budget of the Czech Republic.