Zábřeh Town Hall announced a competition for the renovation of the square

Jana Dvořáková: Centre of Zábřeh (thesis FA ČVUT, 2012-13)

Zábřeh (Šumperk Region) - The town hall in Zábřeh is preparing a large-scale renovation of Osvobození Square in the city center. An architectural competition has been announced to gain a clearer idea of the future appearance of the square, said Zábřeh's mayor František John to ČTK.

"The lower square has considerable potential and could significantly contribute positively to shaping the character of the town in the future. Through the architectural competition, we want to bring new perspectives and ideas to Zábřeh. This space undoubtedly deserves this approach," stated John.

Last year, the town hall organized a survey among the city's residents, which revealed that people expect a thorough transformation of the square. More than half of the respondents indicated that they cannot imagine the square without a pedestrian zone. A significant portion of those surveyed desires a shopping center in the square.

A considerable group of respondents also preferred quality greenery, furniture, summer gardens of restaurants and cafes, a relaxation zone, and traffic calming in the square.

"Compared to other towns, Zábřeh is lagging behind in revitalizing its center; it lacks an attractive quiet yet vibrant zone. However, this gives us the opportunity to learn from a number of successful or, conversely, flawed implementations in other towns. The necessary condition for revitalization, which was the reconstruction of the sewer system, was only fulfilled last year," said John.

The architectural competition focused on Osvobození Square was announced as a single-round competition, according to the mayor. The deadline for submitting competition proposals was set for March 30. The proposals will then be evaluated by a five-member jury composed of independent experts and city representatives. "The results of the competition should be known in April. The selected proposal will serve as the basis for the realization of the transformation of Zábřeh's square. The competition proposals and their presentations will lead to further public discussions," said town hall spokesperson Barbora Šmoldasová.