<div>For the construction of an apartment building in the center of Ostrava, the city received 48 proposals.</div>

Ostrava - The architectural competition for the construction of a residential building at the intersection of Kostelní and Biskupská streets in the center of Ostrava has received 48 proposals. Among them are works from foreign architects. This is the largest number of proposals so far from the four architectural competitions that the city has announced, said the city hall spokesperson Andrea Vojkovská to reporters today. The winner of the current competition will be known in April.

The architectural competition was announced by the city in collaboration with the district this January. The quality of the proposals will be assessed today and on Thursday by a professional jury. In April, the Ostrava city councilors are expected to decide on the winner based on the jury's recommendations.

"There is enormous interest, because in the previous competitions, the number of proposals never exceeded 23," the spokesperson stated. "I am convinced that such a high number of proposals increases the likelihood that among them will be one that will replace the current unsightly gap at the historically valuable site of the former medieval city gate with a valuable multi-storey urban building," said Mayor Tomáš Macura (ANO).

In the area of the gap, the city preferred a two-storey underground parking facility with about 50 spaces. The residential building should have up to 40 apartments ranging from 1+kk to 3+kk in size. The ground floor is also planned to include versatile non-residential spaces, and offices are envisioned for the first floor. The construction should not cost more than 120 million crowns. Participants in the architectural competition were to consider not only current trends in their technical solutions but also economic and ecological approaches.

According to the city hall, the project for the new residential building is part of efforts to revitalize the historical center of the city. The city aims to increase the number of residents in the center of Ostrava. The city and the central district of Moravská Ostrava currently have several projects in various stages of development, which should lead to the creation of around 200 new or renovated apartments in the center.