ČKA has called for greater use of architectural competitions

Prague - Of the 1800 public contracts for building construction in the last year, only 20 were concluded through architectural competitions. According to the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA), 40 to 60 contracts should emerge annually from architectural competitions compared to neighboring countries. This was announced today by ČKA board member Jan Sapák to journalists.
    "Public architectural competitions are dwindling in our society while they are one of the most effective ways to commission these tasks," Sapák stated. Representatives of the ČKA sent letters to representatives of 20 political parties, informing them about the situation regarding public contracts. At the same time, they proposed visits to regional governors to familiarize them with the principles of architectural competitions. Among other things, they want to correct the opinions of some investors who believe that architectural competitions delay and increase the costs of construction.
    According to the chamber, an architectural competition would be deserved for the construction of court buildings, as evidenced by the case of the Justice Palace in Brno. Its construction became more than twice as expensive compared to the original plans.
    The Chamber admits that regardless of the outcome of the architectural competition, construction is often done according to the demands of investors. "Winning the competition does not mean automatic awarding of the contract," noted Sapák. The construction of the Ostrava Moravian-Silesian Scientific Library, known as the "Black Cube," serves as an example; despite winning the competition, its project was not realized. The Moravian-Silesian Region decided to completely abandon the original project. They want to build the library more cheaply, and its design should be proposed by applicants for its construction. A petition in support of the original project has been created. "This is an unfair approach to the results of the competition," believes ČKA Secretary Jiří Plos.
    According to the ČKA, the architectural competition is a proven tool to mobilize the best human talents and prevent corruption and clientelism. They also highlight its long-standing tradition dating back to the 15th century when the contract for the doors and dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence was awarded in a competition to then-unknown creator Filippo Brunelleschi.
    In the Czech Republic, for example, the construction of the Study and Scientific Library in Hradec Králové was realized thanks to an architectural competition. Similarly, a number of embassy buildings abroad have been created, and currently, a public competition has been announced for construction in Washington. Worldwide, thanks to competitive designs, the construction of the Sydney Opera House and the Centre Pompidou in Paris has been realized.