The apartment building near Borský Park is the best new construction in Plzeň in the last four years

Plzeň – Residential Building by Borský Park by architects Tereza Nová and Jiří Zábran is the best new building in Plzeň in the last four years. The tall slender white structure won today in the sixth year of the city architectural competition for the Hanus Zápal Awards, named after the significant West Bohemian architect of the 20th century. This is Zábran's third victory in this competition. Buildings are always awarded for the past four years.

The expert jury selected this year from 15 nominated new buildings constructed between 2022 and 2025. The competition is organized by Plzeň to motivate builders and architects to create quality and interesting buildings, said Pavel Bosák (Pirates), the technical deputy mayor, to ČTK. "To motivate architects to add some extra layer. Not to be satisfied with just doing something functional and cheap to meet the needs of the investor and buyer, but at the same time, to add a visual element for the city, something to beautify it," he said.

The residential building with striking wave-like features is, according to Bosák, just such an example. "It's a house that somewhat forced the investor to so-called let go a bit, because for that beauty and for that uniqueness, he simply had to pay. But the result is exceptional architecture that, when covered with vegetation as planned, will bring a visual accent to the city," Bosák stated.

"It's a residential building that complements the housing estate. It has 14 floors and is exactly as tall as the neighboring building from the 1980s, just it looks contemporary. It is artistically strong in the balconies, which evoke emotions," said Zábran, co-author of the design. He has also won the previous two years of the competition, always with proposals for residential buildings.

The building by Borský Park has wave-like features on its facade from semi-round flower pots. "And in each of those bubbles, a flower is planted. Whoever buys an apartment there will also get a flower to take care of, so in summer, the house will be beautifully green. And to support this, there is a drip irrigation system installed in the railing for each flower pot," added Zábran.

According to Irena Vosatracká, head of the Department of Concepts and Development of the City of Plzeň, the jury did not have an easy task. The quality of the submitted buildings is rising every year. The jury evaluated the submitted residential and family houses, a kindergarten, a city sports hall, an extension of a dining room, a facility for a children's group, an expansion of a charity house for homeless people, and a new shelter house. "It is very important in the city that not just one type of development is built. The city is a multifunctional space, and we need quality buildings to emerge from all areas of life," added Vosatracká.

Hanuš Zápal (1885 to 1964) as an employee of Plzeň designed public buildings – schools and social institutions and also focused on the preservation of monuments in the region. His buildings still belong among the city's pride. These include the building of the business academy, the so-called skyscraper, theater workshops, a crematorium, a double villa in the brewery, the filter building of the Puech-Chabal system in the city waterworks, and a number of residential and school buildings.