Finalists of the Architect of the Year Award 2025

The expert jury of the Architect of the Year 2025 competition has selected five finalists. This competition has been honoring architects for 17 years who have significantly contributed to architecture in the Czech Republic through either outstanding creations or by supporting quality architecture and the profession. The award ceremony and announcement of the competition results will take place on September 15, 2025, at 7 PM in the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning (CAMP) in Prague. This year, the Architect of the Community 2025 award will also be presented, intended for an architect who is also a representative of the community and has long collaborated to promote good architecture and improve the quality of life for community residents.

The annually awarded Architect of the Year award emphasizes the significance and importance of architecture for our lives and societal development, as well as the exceptional role of architects, whose work fundamentally impacts the quality of construction. Since its inception, the award has endeavored to serve as a means of spreading awareness and promoting contemporary quality architecture. Thus, the Architect of the Year award is not a lifetime achievement award nor should it commemorate life anniversaries. Its goal is to recognize a significant achievement in architecture from the past five years. "The award is primarily intended for practicing architects, but not exclusively. Anyone who strives for a pleasant living space through their actions can become a laureate," says Zdeněk Fránek, a laureate from 2020 and a current juror.

The winners of previous years determined this year's nominations for the award – architects Zdeněk Fránek, Roman Koucký, Ivan Kroupa, Petr Stolín, and the duo Ladislav Kuba and Tomáš Pilař. After thorough discussion regarding the contributions of each nominee, five nominations advanced to the finals. The jurors monitored the complexity and continuous quality of work of the finalists, as well as their moral and professional integrity, just as in previous years.

FIVE FINALISTS – JURY JUSTIFICATION

Barbora Weinzettlová and Jiří Weinzettl, along with their colleagues from Atelier 111 architekti, work in Prague and South Bohemia. They repeatedly draw attention primarily with their small-scale projects and reconstructions of rural buildings, which they approach with exceptional sensitivity to the environment, historical traces, and a refined sense of detail. Their refined and innovative approach is particularly recognized and awarded for their realizations of family homes. Notable examples include the family house Na Kozině in Trhové Sviny, a family home in Jinonice, or an archetypal cottage by the pond in Vysočina. Recognition from the professional community has also been given to the translucent mass of the Opatov workshops located in an agricultural complex near Svitavy. In architectural competitions, the architects not only win, but also serve on juries.

Brothers Marek and Štěpán Chalupovi are a staple in the realm of Czech architecture. Their pure, uncompromising solutions have been admired since the 1990s as the pinnacle manifestation of minimalist approach, which will be etched into the history of Czech architecture. The first works that brought the "chalupáři" attention included the roof over the staircase at the Orlík Castle of Karel Schwarzenberg from 1998. They also confirmed their creative direction with the delicate vestibule of the Kolbenova metro station in Prague. Other masterpieces include the technically unique Metropol Hotel in Prague on Národní Street, the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2000, ČSOB bank in Prague, and more. Following these are winning competitions from recent years awaiting realization. This creative brotherhood embodies a spirit of highly sophisticated minimalism with an emphasis on detail and a clear authorial signature. The authors prioritize quality over quantity, choosing to focus on their admirable creations rather than the now-dominating self-promotion. They also pass on their experiences to the younger generation through teaching.

David Kraus is a prominent figure in Czech architecture – architect, educator, artist, and publicist. He studied at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University under Miroslav Šik within the group Nová česká práce and in 2002 founded the studio Architektura, s.r.o. His work is characterized by a personal, non-fashionable approach, material honesty, and a strong relationship to the place. He rejects flashy gestures, believing in an alternative "Czech path" - simplicity, authenticity, context, and lasting value of work. He experiments and works with unusual sources of inspiration, images, and principles. Among his most notable works are the award-winning concrete plant in Strančice, the Větrník kindergarten in Říčany, the school in Hradiště, the Bydžov retirement home, and numerous original family houses. He approaches architecture as an authentic expression of function, material, and environment. He actively contributes to the field debate through writings, lectures, and teaching. He draws inspiration from martial arts, music, sailing, and everyday life.

Sporadical, a sympathetic and approachable group, experiments with modern architecture responsibly, carefully, and with empathy for all contexts. Since 2004, the studio has been led by Aleš Kubalík, Josef Kocián, Veronika Sávová, and previously also Jakub Našinec and Petr Janda. Sporadical has evolved over time from small, sensitively situated and designed objects to larger scale constructions and urbanism. The work of Sporadical in various typologies and scales consistently maintains a high quality of both the physical and non-physical components of architecture. Notable realizations include the silver domed sports hall in Dolní Břežany, the Heřmaň therapeutic community, the Podhrad kindergarten in Humpolec, the Gate to Borský Park in Plzeň, and a number of quality family homes.

Jan Šépka has been an unmistakable figure in Czech architecture since the 1990s. His work attracted attention during the presentations of Miroslav Šik's students within the group Nová česká práce. Jan Šépka's designs are always based on original and strong conceptual considerations and surprising uses of materials to the edge of possibility. His solid and uncompromising creative intent transform into reality is applied consistently and with unprecedented will – most recently in the completion of Gočár’s Automatic Mills in Pardubice. He began as a partner at the HŠH studio and founded his own design office in 2009. His notable works include the Hermína villa with its characteristic pink coating, the house in a steel corset in Prague, a house in an orchard in Prague’s Kyje, modifications to the castle hill in Litomyšl, seating at the confluence of the Modravský and Roklanský streams, and the long-discussed proposal for the Central European Forum in Olomouc (SEFO). He shares his experiences as an educator, first at the Faculty of Architecture of Czech Technical University in Prague, then at UMPRUM in Prague and FUA TUL in Liberec.

HONORABLE MENTION – ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR 2025

In addition to awarding the Architect of the Year 2025, the jury will also present one honorable mention in September.

ARCHITECT OF THE COMMUNITY 2025

An integral part of the Architect of the Year competition, organized by ABF, a.s., is also the Architect of the Community award given by the Ministry for Regional Development of the Czech Republic, the Czech Chamber of Architects, the Association for Urbanism and Spatial Planning of the Czech Republic, and the magazine Moderní obec. The aim of the competition is to reward the tandem of architect and municipality and to highlight the contribution of their collaboration to the creation of quality construction.

AWARD CEREMONY – SEPTEMBER 15, 2025

The award ceremony featuring the presentation of awards to the laureates of the Architect of the Year 2025 and Architect of the Community 2025 will take place on September 15, 2025, at 7 PM in the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning (CAMP) in Prague.