The competition for a new swimming pool in Plzeň was won by local architects, with 15 teams entered

Plzeň – The architectural competition for a new indoor swimming pool in Plzeň at Borská pole was won by a team of Plzeň architects. Fifteen teams registered. The winning design will be approved by the representatives on May 9, who will see its visualizations. The construction is expected to cost 250 to 300 million CZK. The winner was selected by a jury composed of experts. CTK was informed by mayor Pavel Šindelář (ODS) on Friday. "I will inform the representatives about the results of the competition that took place in March. Fifteen designs were submitted, the competition was anonymous, and no one on the expert panel knew who submitted which design," said the mayor. The competition visualizations will be presented at an outdoor exhibition in the city.

According to the mayor, who is pleased that the winning design is from Plzeň, it is not yet possible to speak of a specific price for the work. The winning team of architects will receive a contract for all phases of the project documentation. "At the beginning, a certain price will be confirmed in the documentation for the zoning permit. But the price was not a criterion in the competition. What was important was how the winning team processed that architectural design," he stated. The city investment department is expected to sign a contract with the winner during May.

According to the draft resolution, which is already on the city website, the costs for prizes and rewards in the competition will amount to three million crowns, and the city's expenses for acquiring all phases of project documentation will be approximately 27 million crowns including VAT, which has already been allocated in the city's budget for this year and next year.

The architectural competition, the conditions of which were approved by the representatives and the Czech Chamber of Architects, had a deadline of February 21. The pool will be located next to the campus of the West Bohemian University in the Borská pole area on city land. It will replace the outdated swimming pool on Kozinova Street. "This is not an aquapark, but a pool; investment is expected in the years 2023 to 2024," said CTK in January during the announcement of the competition by first deputy mayor Roman Zarzycký (ANO). There is an expectation of support from the National Sports Agency.

"Our intention is for it to consist of a multifunctional swimming hall with outdoor pools, sports facilities, and recreational areas," said the mayor. According to him, it is a significant public building in a prominent location, and thus it was logical to organize an open architectural competition. According to an earlier resolution of the representatives, the project will be divided into a basic phase and a subsequent part with a relaxation complex, where a hostel with a restaurant, wellness facilities, slides, and an outdoor pool could be built. It will also include a parking lot or a parking garage. The first phase is expected to lead to occupancy by the turn of 2024 and 2025; the city anticipates co-financing from national sources, Zarzycký said.

In Plzeň, which has 175,000 inhabitants, there are currently three indoor swimming areas, of which two are municipal. The largest is in Slovany, while significant investment is needed for the other two – Radbuza in Kozinova Street, which belongs to the sports club SK Radbuza, and the smaller Lochotín swimming pool.