Most wants to bring life back to the city center, 19 studios submitted proposals for the competition

Photo: Luboš Dvořák

Most - The city of Most aims to bring life back to the center. It has announced an international competition, to which 19 architectural firms submitted proposals. The jury selected five of them to develop their ideas further. The winning team will prepare a detailed project for the future appearance of the center, public space, or development areas. Mayor Marek Hrvol (ProMOST) told reporters this after a meeting of the city council today. The city has announced another competition for the former department store Prior, which the municipality purchased some time ago, and a third for the city hall building and its immediate surroundings.

Efforts to improve the appearance of the center have emerged several times in the past. "It always related only to a specific area. Now we are approaching it as a whole. A regulatory plan for the location will be created, a manual on how to work with public space, which should also be binding for developers," Hrvol stated. Architects from around the world applied for the so-called competitive dialogue. The number of applications surprised both the mayor and the jury itself. All proposals were of very high quality, and it took eight hours for the jury to select five for the next phase of the competition, he noted.

According to Hrvol, the biggest negative is that the center has become deserted, and many buildings no longer serve their purpose. "We are responding to criticism from recent years that public space has been approached separately. We want to provide an overall concept and bring life back to the city," the mayor stated. The progressing studios will receive a reward, and the municipality plans to establish a long-term collaboration with the winner. The project could be completed within two years. The costs of implementation will be around ten million crowns.

A crucial role in transforming the center is played by the former department store Prior, which the municipality bought last year for 62 million crowns. There were about twenty contenders in the competition for its new appearance. The five selected studios must present a detailed proposal by January 31, 2026. Subsequently, project preparation for the building permit will begin. The city canceled the third competition for the city hall building and announced it again on Thursday.