This year's construction in the Karlovy Vary Region is the concert hall of the Imperial Spa

Karlovy Vary – This year, the expert jury awarded the best conversion of a concert hall into the Imperial Baths in the Karlovy Vary Region competition. Among the projects, the proposal for the reconstruction of the Cheb Bridge in Karlovy Vary took first place. In an online voting, the public gave the most votes to the revitalization of the Imperial Baths, the project for the reconstruction of the Winter Stadium in Cheb, and the saved monument of the Hrázděnka in Kraslice. The results of the competition were reported by its organizers to ČTK.

The concert hall in the Imperial Baths is the work of architect Petr Hájek, who placed the multifunctional hall in the atrium of the historic building in such a way that it can be disassembled at any time without any interference in the structure of the Imperial Baths. The investor was the Karlovy Vary Region. Other awarded projects included the revitalization of the Imperial Baths and the reconstruction of Building L at the Karlovy Vary hospital. An honorary mention was awarded to the footbridge over the railway station tracks in Cheb.

The project for the reconstruction of the Cheb Bridge in Karlovy Vary emerged from the results of an architectural competition. From the submitted proposals, the option from the AoC & Bridge structures association was chosen for its architectural and artistic solution, and the option from the Sagasta studio for its technical and construction solution. This year, documentation for combined territorial and building proceedings will be prepared, and next year, documentation for construction execution will be developed, with construction work expected to begin at the end of 2025. The jury also praised the proposal for a parking garage near the Gallery in Karlovy Vary and the project for the construction of new buildings at the Karlovy Vary hospital. An honorary mention was given by the jury to the complex of buildings in Mikulášská and Mlýnská streets in Cheb.

Extra prizes were also awarded. The Minister of Industry and Trade's award went to the revitalization of the Abydos company complex in Hazlov. The Governor of the Karlovy Vary Region, Petr Kulhánek (for STAN), awarded the reconstruction of the former farm in Hazlov, and the Mayor of Karlovy Vary, Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová (ANO), praised the construction of a retaining wall on Bezručova Street in Karlovy Vary. The magazine Stavebnictví awarded the concert hall of the Imperial Baths.

This year, public voting allocated 12,415 votes among the buildings. The restoration of the Imperial Baths received 1,114 votes, the project for the Winter Stadium in Cheb got 452 votes, and 1,307 people supported the restoration of the Hrázděnka in Kraslice.