H. Králové did not find a designer for the repair of the northern terraces, threatening the loss of funding

Hradec Králové - No one applied for the selection procedure in Hradec Králové for the designer of the reconstruction of the historical northern terraces and the adjacent Žižkov Gardens. The city will repeat the competition. If everything is significantly delayed, the city could lose funding for the reconstruction. This was stated to journalists today by the mayor's deputy Lukáš Řádek (TOP 09). The cost of the reconstruction is estimated by the city hall to be up to 200 million crowns. It aims to draw 71 million crowns from the European ITI program. The terraces are currently in a state of emergency and have been closed to the public for over ten years.

No bids came from designers for the competition, even though, according to Řádek, the interested parties had an above-standard period for submitting offers. "Even though we did everything we should have, no one applied. We urgently cancelled the tender procedure and will issue it again. We will believe that someone will apply," said Řádek. The construction is among the city's investment priorities.

Initially, the city hall planned to have the project documentation available by spring 2026. Subsequently, it would announce a tender for a construction company. According to the conditions of the grant, construction should start no later than 2027, with completion in 2029. "Given the extent of the work, we have great concerns about meeting the deadline," said Řádek. If Hradec Králové is unsuccessful in securing the funding, other projects in the Hradec-Pardubice agglomeration could utilize the grant money.

The northern terraces stand on the site of former city walls and, along with the Žižkov Gardens, are located in a city heritage reservation. The city hall has been preparing the site's renewal since 2012 and received a valid zoning decision for it four years ago.

In addition to repairing the terraces and their stairs, builders should construct a new staircase at Kavčí plácek. "The network of paths will also change, which should provide barrier-free access to the Great Square," Řádek previously stated. Builders will also modify the drainage system so that it can sufficiently divert water from the terraces to the gardens. The current sewer and rainwater drainage system is almost non-functional and inadequate, leading to water accumulation in the terraces and further deterioration of their condition. The stability of the terraces is further degraded by the strong root system of some trees.

The appearance of the gardens should be brought closer to the park concept from 1905 by architect František Thomayer, who designed the gardens as a French ornamental garden with a rich floral planting. The circular fountain in the middle of the gardens will also be restored, and new city furniture will be added. The restoration plans include renewing the greenery and trees, many of which are in a state of emergency. A large part of the work will involve replacing and repairing utility networks.

The so-called southern terraces and the terraces near the former brewery were repaired by the city at a cost of 72 million crowns in 2011.