In Ostrava, an urban planning and architectural competition has begun for the design of a new district

Ostrava – A tighter urban-architectural competition has begun in Ostrava for the design of a neighborhood that a private investor wants to build on the site of the former slag heap of the Žofinská Huti. Interested parties must submit their applications with a portfolio of reference works by September 6. The results of the competition are expected to be known in the spring of next year. CTK was informed today by Dorotea Dlesková on behalf of the competition organizer.

"The competition will take place in the form of three non-anonymous competitive workshops, during which the jury, investors, and local government will engage in a direct dialogue with the competing teams. The jury will subsequently select only five to seven teams to submit their concepts for the new neighborhood in the first phase of the competition. From these, three to four concepts will be selected for further development into a more detailed proposal in the second round," Dlesková stated.

The neighborhood is set to be built between Nová Karolina and the Lower Vítkovice area. The Žofinka brownfield has an area of approximately 20 hectares, with about 515,000 m² to be built. "The aim of the competition's client is to create a neighborhood with quality public spaces, ample greenery, and quality architecture. The competition is expected to result in a design for the neighborhood that primarily has a residential character, offering apartments of various standards for residents of all age groups," Dlesková added.

The investor plans to start construction of the first phase in 2027. "We expect the competition to propose how to integrate the Žofinka area into the city's structure and create an important connection between the center of Ostrava and the Lower Vítkovice area, as well as pedestrian and cycling access to the wider surroundings. At the same time, we are pleased that the private landowner has decided to find the future form of the area in an open competition and is closely cooperating with the city of Ostrava for its coordination and preparation," said Deputy Mayor Hana Tichánková (ANO).

The selection of the competing teams and ultimately the winning proposal will be decided by a jury comprising representatives of the client, local government, and independent experts from among architects, urban planners, and landscape architects. The jury chair is architect and urban planner Filip Tittl from the UNIT architekt office, which was the winner of the urban competition for the development of the Prague brownfield Florenc.

The company Pod Žofinkou Holding, which is funding the project, has previously stated that building the new neighborhood will take two to three decades. In the first phase, approximately 60,000 m² could be built. The first phase is expected to cost between 3.6 to 4 billion crowns.