The fountain in the square in Hradec Králové will consist of nine basins, proposed the winners of the competition

Hradec Králové - The fountain in the historic Great Square in Hradec Králové should consist of nine differently sized vessels made of high-strength concrete. The design by sculptor Tomáš Pavlacký and architect Petr Preininger won the city-announced architectural-art competition. Adam Záruba (Change for Hradec), the deputy mayor for urban planning, urbanism, and architecture, said this today to ČTK. The competition was in two rounds, and the city received 54 proposals. The results of the competition were approved by the city council on Tuesday.

According to Záruba, the nine vessels, whose surfaces will resemble stone, symbolize the nine dowry towns of Czech queens, which includes Hradec Králové. Access to the vessels is barrier-free, and people will be able to walk among them. One of the vessels is lower, allowing people to refresh themselves with water from it. The fountain is expected to be located in the Great Square near the former town hall, where fountains used to be in the past.

The winning design, according to the jury, sensitively responds to the city's history while also bringing a contemporary original expression. "The chosen form and architectural detail enter into a natural dialogue with the surrounding architecture and urban landmarks. The design is technically convincing, thought through to the detail, and thanks to its barrier-freeness and terrain work, accessible to all visitors," Záruba stated.

According to him, the work could become a modern symbol of the city. The city estimated the costs of building the fountain to be up to 25 million crowns excluding VAT before the competition. All accepted proposals, including the winning one and two awarded designs, will be presented by the town hall at a public exhibition from January 27 to February 15 at the foyer of the Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové.

In the western part of the Great Square, three fountains were built successively in the past. The first, named Jiříkova, was created in the second half of the 15th century and was adorned with elaborate sculptural decoration. In 1782, it was replaced by a fountain with simple decoration. After its demolition in 1873, an iron fountain stood in the square until 1937. It was supposed to be replaced by a monument to Jan Žižka, but that did not happen.

The city has determined the basic parameters and location of the new fountain. For example, the fountain was to occupy a square area of a maximum of 100 square meters and could be up to seven meters tall.

The installation of the fountain will be part of the overall reconstruction of the Great Square that the city is planning. Two rows of trees should be created in the square, and water features will be added. Instead of "cobblestones," the square should be paved with cut tiles. The center of the square should belong to pedestrians.