The buildings of the year are the bridges near Opava or the town hall in Kardašova Řečice

Prague - The buildings of the year 2017 are the road viaducts near Opava, the reconstruction of the town hall and library in Kardašova Řečice, the modification of Tyršovy sady in Pardubice, the conversion of a boiler room into the headquarters of Bosch in Prague, and the renovations of the Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové. In a public vote, the town hall in Kardašova Řečice won. The title of Foreign Building of the Year was awarded to the Želiezovce waterworks in Levice, Slovakia, and the Warsaw Spire building in the Polish capital. The results of the 25th annual awards were announced this evening by the Foundation for the Development of Architecture and Construction, which organizes the competition.

This year, 52 applications were received, which is 13 fewer than last year's record year. According to the judges, this is largely due to the decline in Czech construction in the previous year. An eight-member expert jury nominated 15 buildings in the Czech Republic and three abroad.

"The judges did not always have unanimous opinions, but through discussion, we mostly reached a consensus. The buildings that receive the title somehow speak for themselves. Their clarity, individuality, and sovereignty," said the chairwoman of the jury, Radomíra Sedláková.

"The classical building of the town hall and library in Kardašova Řečice is a successful example that even a nearly 200-year-old building can become, thanks to a well-designed project, a modern, user-friendly, and very energy-efficient building," Sedláková added. The building in Kardašova Řečice also won with a significant lead in the public vote conducted online until noon today.

The two road viaducts over the valleys of the Hrabyňka and Kremlice streams on road I/11 measure 327 and 526 meters, respectively. The jury appreciated the creatively designed construction of reinforced concrete beams with regard to its sensitive placement within the natural framework. In the case of the modifications of Tyršovy sady in Pardubice, the jury awarded a prize for creating an attractive recreational space with respect to water management structures, as well as the composition of greenery.

The conversion of the former boiler room in Prague's Radlice into the headquarters of Bosch was deemed by the jury to be the best industrial building. It was important for them to preserve the original structures. The reconstruction of the Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové attracted attention with its operational and architectural transformation of a former bank building into a contemporary museum, taking into account the new arrangement of spaces.

This year, the Foreign Building of the Year was announced for the fourth time. Buildings realized by Czech companies are eligible for the title. The winners were the Želiezovce waterworks in Levice, Slovakia, carried out by Metrostav, and the Warsaw Spire high-rise building in Warsaw by AGC Flat Glass Czech.

The Association of Entrepreneurs in Construction in the Czech Republic awarded the Residence Garden Towers in Prague's Žižkov with 700 apartments by the development company Central Group. The association recognized the use of a neglected brownfield and the transformation of Olšanská Street, which had until then been purely administrative in character. The apartments were built by Metrostav for around two billion crowns. The State Fund for Transport Infrastructure awarded the road bypass of Velemyšleves and the bridging of the Chomutovka River in the Louny district to the firm Silnice Group.

Both new and reconstructed buildings, urban developments of public spaces, landscape modifications, land residential and non-residential buildings, transport and engineering constructions, as well as specific construction works could be awarded the title. The condition for entry into the competition was the completion and commissioning or occupancy permit by the end of May this year.

Buildings of the year 2017:

Building	Author/Designer	Investor	Contractor
Viaducts over the valleys of Hrabyňka and Kremlice	Stránský, Hustý and Partners	Road and Motorway Directorate	Eurovia
Revitalization of Tyršovy sady in Pardubice	New Visit	City of Pardubice	BAK Construction Company
Town Hall and Library in Kardašova Řečice	Atelier Žiška	City of Kardašova Řečice	Spilka and Říha
Boiler House Park Radlice in Prague	AED Project	Red Group	Metrostav
Modifications of the Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové	3Q Project	Hradec Králové Region	STAKO