<h1>Results of the Competition in Karlovy Vary</h1>

Karlovy Vary - The merging of the public transport bus station and the inter-city station or a radical calming of traffic on the Cheb Bridge is proposed by the winning designs for the urban arrangement of the center of Karlovy Vary. The jury did not select a single winner but awarded second place to three proposals and recognized two others. A concept for the future development of the city center should be created from the best proposals, said Jaroslav Růžička (independent), the Deputy Mayor of Karlovy Vary, to reporters today.
Urban planning proposals focused on the area from the Solivárna to the cable bridge over the Ohře and between Sokolovská and Moskovská streets. "A common feature of the awarded proposals was to merge the two bus stations into one terminal at the market on Varšavská Street. Similarly, they proposed calming traffic on the Cheb Bridge, which should primarily serve pedestrians or cyclists," said Růžička.
The architects also proposed two new bridges. One could extend Charkovská Street over the Ohře to Dolní Kamenná. Another could be created by extending Sokolovská Street across the river to Solivárna.
About half of the works, although not selected for further processing, also proposed connecting the terminal at the market with the upper train station by cable car. However, these proposals did not succeed with the jury.
According to Růžička, all the proposals will be presented to the public next week in the foyer of the magistrate and online. The assessed proposals will be evaluated by city committees and, as Růžička said, ideally, the best proposals from the three top-rated projects will be merged and further plans for the center will be created based on them. However, since the city does not own all the land in the area the urban planning competition addressed, it cannot directly prevent conflicting intentions from private investors. However, it can modify the zoning plan or block the land that investors will need according to the study.

1st prize: not awarded/ 3x 2nd prize: Cigler Marani Architects/ Michal Gabaš, Vojtěch Sosna/ A69architekti/ 3rd prize: not awarded/ 2x Award: F. Novotný, J. Suchan, K. Wirth/ P. Kotas, L. Krotilová
One-round public conceptual urban planning competition

Organizer: Statutory City of Karlovy Vary

Secretary of the design competition and processor of the competition conditions: Ilja Richtr, Department of Development and Investment, tel.: 353118278, 725533315, email: [email protected]

Reviewer of competition designs: RNDr. Milan Svoboda, tel.: 739095871, email: [email protected]

The subject of the design competition was the development of an urban concept for the larger city center of Karlovy Vary. The urban solutions emphasized both the functional and spatial arrangement and use of the addressed area as well as its transport concept. Within this transport concept, emphasis was also placed on the public transport concept.

Competition period: January 30 – April 23, 2013

Jury: Petr Kulhánek, Petr Bursík, Jaroslav Růžička, Antonín Juštík, Josef Janů, František Lehovec, Milan Körner, Radek Kolařík, Petr Moos, Irena Fialová, Václav Škarda; substitutes: Milan Rusev, Jiří Janisch, Richard Mundil, Ladislav Komrska, Jan Sedlák, Jiří Plos, Petr Mráz

Number of submitted designs: 13

Prizes and awards total: 680,000 CZK

1st prize: not awarded

3x 2nd prize (170,000 CZK):

Cigler Marani Architects, a. s. – Jakub Cigler, Tomáš Bíma, Radka Bínová Argayová, Andrea Honejsková, Kristýna Stará + DUA studio: Václav Malina, Petr Jakovec, Petr Kučera, Michal Podruh, Petr Zajíc

Jury assessment:
The proposal is of high quality in significant aspects. The presented solution well captures and reflects the two expected developmental phases of the urbanism of the larger city center – the current stage, with the road through on the left bank, and the distant outlook – for the implementation of the city’s road bypass. Among the indisputable strengths of the proposal are:

• placing a comprehensive node (terminal) for public transport in an optimal position in the area of Varšavská Street and the market
• freeing the pedestrian path from the city center through Republic Square and further to the west from car traffic, linking pedestrian zones
• a fully functional city park on the right bank of the Ohře, optimally dimensioned both in width and in its surrounding space, not just as riverside greenery, at the cost of a reasonable reduction in the width of the buildable area at the lower station. In the outlook, including the removal of the railway barrier on the right bank of the river
• at the same time, maintaining spatial ratios for meaningful revitalization of the existing brownfield at the lower station with full-fledged development
• in the distant outlook, diverting the Bečov railway route to the main track, thereby focusing rail traffic on the Upper station, with the removal of the barrier effect of railway in the space of the right bank (lower station)
• the road through on the left bank is fully recognized and allowed to retain its backbone (capacity) function in the current stage. Only in the outlook (very distant in time), after the construction of the bypass, will this thoroughfare be transformed into city streets, and the barrier of this expressway I/6 on the left bank of the river will be removed.

The proposal allows for the formation of a quality city center as a continuation of the spa town. Defining the two phases (stage) and outlook (after diverting traffic from the center with the bypass) is considered beneficial. However, the proposal is criticized for having insufficient transport solutions in the current stage without a new bridge. The Cheb Bridge will be traffic overloaded, including its quite unsuitable connection to Horova Street. This proposal presents the city with an urban solution that can be partially utilized for spatial planning activities.

Vojtěch Sosna, Michal Gabaš, Zdeněk Rothbauer, Václav Pivoňka

Jury assessment:

The proposal is also of high quality in significant aspects. Its solution transforms the space of the larger center of Karlovy Vary into a full-fledged city center. Current urban barriers are overcome. Major advantages of the proposal include:

• intensive connection of urban spaces on the left and right banks of the Ohře River, achieved through three optimally located bridge connections, including their emergence in the forelands on both banks
• intensive development of key areas on both banks achieving an effect of unifying the city. Proven forms of development, compact urban blocks, with appropriate height, link to the context and street network of the historic development on both banks of the city, expressing the continuation of the traditional city
• The Cheb Bridge is rebuilt, widened, reorganizing intersections on both sides, the bridge is primarily dedicated to pedestrians and urban public space
• as a representative of one of the two possible concepts for the transport terminal, that is as a cohesive terminal on the site of the lower station, merging the systems of city public bus transport, railways, and domestic bus transport.

However, the proposal is criticized for being too close to the river Ohře and for reducing greenery in this area. The proposal contains bold visions that verge on realism. The excessively long tunneling of the left bank road thoroughfare and the location of buildings on it is negatively assessed. It also accepts an older idea of a tunnel and rich railway connection. This proposal presents a solution that the client can utilize in some parts for further spatial planning activities.

A69architekti, s. r. o. – Boris Redčenkov, Prokop Tomášek, Jaroslav Wertig, Jitka Macáková, Michal Nohejl, Petr Král, Ota Řezanka

Jury assessment:

This proposal is also of high quality in significant aspects. It convincingly shows a possible direction for the urban development of the city, extending the attractiveness of the traditional spa part into the former periphery. It creates a logical and readable urban structure, interconnected, permeable, free of collisions and conflicts. Major advantages of the proposal include:

• optimal location and arrangement of a single main transport terminal integrating all kinds of public transport in the triangular plot of land between the existing public transport transfer station Tržnice and the intersection by Becherovka. The terminal is to be the first stage and a prerequisite for further development. It is therefore designed in the least problematic area and very suitable for public transport and connections to the existing center
• the establishment of a new bridge over the Ohře River, in an optimal position, which connects the left bank thoroughfare and the proposed completion of areas in the lower station area. The bridge can be gradually attached to the thoroughfare, initially unilaterally, later as a complete intersection
• calming of Republic Square and extending the pedestrian path from the spa center to Rybář, even though not as consistently as in other proposals
• parallel embankment boulevard with a colonnade connecting the new focal point of the city
• calmed Cheb Bridge, freeing both its forelands, an opportunity to restore the outline of the pre-war development and the re-establishment of the compositional axis of the court - magistrate
• emphasis on areas around the market and the confluence of the Teplá River, where the new urban center with the main square is located
• the new bridge connects to the intersection below the brewery, providing a new connection upward to the center of Rybář
• liberation of the southern embankment of the Ohře from the tracks of the Lower station.

This proposal also contains bold visions that verge on realism. It is criticized for being too close to the river Ohře and for reducing greenery in this area. The unjustified relocation of the left bank backbone communication, excessively long encirclement of the railway on the right bank, and the placement of buildings on the tunneled part of the left bank road thoroughfare are negatively assessed. This proposal presents a solution that the client can also partially utilize for further spatial planning activities.

3rd prize: not awarded

2x Award (85,000 CZK):

František Novotný, Jaroslav Suchan, Karel Wirth, Jiří Křepinský, Petr Preininger, Martin Vachtl

Jury assessment:

A conceptually high-quality proposal whose strength lies in its complexity. It addresses most of the essential urban problems of the larger city center, including connecting urban parts that are currently separated from the center. And it does so realistically, with a reasonable complexity of the proposed measures. The concept is verbally convincing; however, it is not always convincingly reflected in the specific graphics of the proposal. The proposed transport solution is capacity and functional. Access to the center is ensured by a triple connection to the left bank backbone communication, with a new bridge aligned with Charkovská Street, with a new road running parallel to Západní Street. Calming the Cheb Bridge and fulfilling its role as a connecting link between the center and the left bank city is realistic. However, the declared creation of urban space on Republic Square is not consistent in the proposal, nor is the direct contact of the green banks of the Ohře with the city. The proposal for the development of the public transport terminal in its current position in the area of the lower station is realistic, functional, and capacity. Full connection of the Ostrovský Bridge to the thoroughfare would be spatially problematic.

Patrik Kotas, Lucie Krotilová, Tibor Csukás, Václav Juppa

Jury assessment:

The proposal integrates most development prompts, generally considered beneficial. This is particularly the connection of city structures on both banks of the Ohře, achieved through the reconstruction of both forelands of the Cheb Bridge. Acknowledgment of the temporal distance for the implementation of the city bypass and the corresponding solution - covered by a green embankment and development. However, the extent of the coverage is too large. The cancellation of the lower railway and bus station, whose area is fully used as a development area for new quality buildings. A new crossing over the Ohře in an optimal position is added, which will relieve the Cheb Bridge. It is proposed to create two main nodes of public transport, which will be comfortably linked to each other. The first main node is a multipurpose central terminal encompassing the public transport, bus, and railway services, on the areas near where the Teplá flows into the Ohře, by Solivárna. However, its realization would face property issues. Emphasizing the transport significance of the upper station, which becomes the second mass transport node, including transfer connections between public transport buses, the railway, and the cable car. The utilization of the potential of the entire area on the left bank of the Ohře (around Dolní Kamenná Street) appears to be low. Excessively large areas on the left bank are dealt with as greenery. The solution for building on the right bank right up to the shoreline is controversial, as well as the unrealistic solution for connecting the Cheb Bridge to the tunneled thoroughfare.