32 proposals were submitted for the competition for the footbridge over the Elbe River in Hradec Králové

Hradec Králové - The architectural competition for the footbridge over the Elbe in Hradec Králové received 32 submissions. The competition deadline was today, and the city hall anticipates announcing the results in April. The author chosen by the jury for the most suitable design will have the opportunity to enter into a contract with the city for the development of project documentation for zoning and building permits, as well as for author supervision of the construction. This was stated today by the mayor's deputy Jindřich Vedlich (TOP 09).
    There was great interest in the competition among architects; approximately 120 entities picked up the materials for the competition posted in December. "We are satisfied with the number of 32 submitted designs. I am convinced that a solution will be chosen that will be beneficial for the city and environmentally friendly," Vedlich said.
    The main criterion for evaluation, weighing 80 percent, will be the quality of the architectural design, which will include aspects such as structural solutions and urban integration of the footbridge. The cost of construction will carry a weight of 20 percent in the evaluation. The city has set a cost limit for the construction at a maximum of 40 million crowns.
    The footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists, which the city has been pursuing for over ten years, is expected to connect the Šimkovy Sady park and the Aldis Congress Center with Karl IV Street in the city center. The bridge is to be 67 meters long and at least 4.5 meters wide. Architects were not specified as to what material it should be made of. However, they had to take into account the space for the safe movement of migrating birds in their designs.
    The city hall already constructed a pedestrian boulevard in the Aldis area in 2003 for nearly 23 million crowns. The bridge was to follow it. According to the original project, it was necessary to fell an oak tree on the Elbe riverbank, against which nature conservationists successfully protested. The new design of the footbridge will allow for construction without having to cut down the oak tree.