Central Bohemian Scientific Library in Kladno - Announcement of Competition

The Central Bohemian Scientific Library in Kladno cannot be denied its effort to approach progressive European institutions. Every year, it introduces a number of innovations, expands its educational offerings and digital services, organizes a wide range of cultural and social events, and simultaneously strives to create a pleasant "homely" environment for staying, reading, meeting, and spending time with children and friends. Therefore, it has long collaborated with architects. However, its spatial possibilities are very limited, which inevitably leads to a number of compromises. But that is about to change! The library established by the Central Bohemian Region is announcing an open one-phase architectural competition for the comprehensive revitalization of its premises. Now it is up to architects to tackle this ambitious task and transform the historical area into a modern, vibrant center of education, culture, and community life. Proposals can be submitted until January 13, 2026.
The competition has ambitious requirements, as it is necessary to fit a number of functions into the spatially limited area – from expanding library and leisure spaces to a café, cultural and educational spaces, to specialties such as a multisensory room, media lab, audio studio, coworking space, makerspace, or a bookbinding workshop. The backend for the staff will be improved, the logic of library operations will be optimized, and both readers and event visitors will enjoy a more pleasant courtyard space.
The aim of the proposal is not only to restore the heritage-protected Art Nouveau building, which is a dominant feature of the lower part of Kladno's center, but primarily to better connect it with other historical buildings in the area, as well as any new constructions, into one functional whole. The existing spaces were created gradually, without a cohesive concept, and today they no longer meet the demands of a modern regional library nor its educational, social, and community roles. The renovated area should also serve as an educational example of sustainable construction, including smart solutions in the field of energy and blue-green infrastructure.
"We are making a tiny step for mankind, but a giant leap for the Central Bohemian Library and the educated, vibrant, and inspiring Central Bohemia Region. The competition is a historical opportunity to approach the library area as a whole, to transform it into an attractive, functional, and lively place, ready to host a multitude of activities and respond to the changing needs of society," says the library director Roman Hájek.
The competition has a high-quality jury, with Professor Emil Přikryl as an independent member and further architects Jan Žalský, Vojtěch Tecl, Ivana Čobejová, and Mikuláš Novotný. Dependent members include representatives of the library and the region. The competition is organized by Karla Kupilíková and Marek Sivák from ARCHITEKTI PROSTORU, and its preparation and implementation are financed from the National Reconstruction Plan under the Financial Support Program for Project Preparation in accordance with the EU's goals. The anticipated investment costs are 255 million CZK, and the maximum value of the subsequent contract for complete project work is estimated at 28 million CZK without VAT. A sum of 2 million CZK is allocated for prizes and rewards in the competition. The submission deadline for the competition is January 13, 2025, by 6 PM, and the jury will announce the results in February.