The winners of the competition to transform Art Street in Ostrava are students

Ostrava - The authors of the winning proposal for the transformation of Artistic Street in front of the House of Art near the center of Ostrava are architecture students Jan Adamus, Ondřej Bělica, and Matěj Jindrák. A total of 23 proposals were submitted to the open anonymous architectural-urban planning competition, said Mayor Tomáš Macura (ANO) to journalists today. The winning proposal is dominated by a brick-colored paved cross that aligns with the House of Art.

The jury, composed of representatives from the city and architects, assessed not only the suitability of the concept but also the economic feasibility of the proposal and the connection of the proposed area with its surroundings. "The information about winning this competition is all the more valuable because it is a project in our home region, and we can contribute to the positive development of Ostrava, which is currently flourishing. We approached the proposal with humility and responsibility, both to the place itself and its central theme - the architecture of the House of Art," said Bělica, who is a student of architecture at the Brno University of Technology.

"The artistic composition of the brick-paved cross makes a clear and convincing impression. The external space is incorporated into the House of Art through the chosen material and expands the scope of its influence both aesthetically and functionally. The proposal clearly defines the main priorities for organizing the surrounding space but omits details that must be clarified in the subsequent communication with the investor and during the design work," said jury member Ladislav Kuba.

According to Macura, it was an ideological competition, meaning the final form may not correspond exactly to the winning proposal. The city expects that the site could be reconstructed in 2018 or 2019. So far, the mayor has been unable to determine the costs of the renovation.

The city is now preparing to announce an architectural competition for the transformation of Msgre. Šrámek Square, and by June at the latest, the councilors will decide on the winning proposal for the transformation of the former slaughterhouse. In the same way, the city wants to approach the construction of a concert hall or an apartment building on Kostelní Street, according to the mayor. "We have returned to a broader use of architectural competitions. I believe that this way of transforming the city will yield results in the form of valuable architectural works that will make Ostrava more attractive," Macura noted.