Results of the 3rd year of the student competition organized by HELIKA, summer stage of the monastery in Kladruby

The subject of the competition was to create an urban planning and architectural design based on the intention of the conservation and rehabilitation of the national cultural monument of the former Benedictine monastery complex in Kladruby, the work of significant Baroque architects Jan Blažej Santini and Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer. The goal of the competition was to create a multifunctional cultural institution that would serve not only as a heritage object accessible to the public but also as an educational center for organizing cultural events with a range of additional services. Students were to design a stage for 400 audience members with minimal facilities necessary for viewers and performers, but with the broadest possible use, such as for theater, ballet, concerts, or cinema.

“From the received designs, it is evident that for some students, the relationship and respect for this significant Baroque structure and its connection with the new summer stage was difficult to grasp, which should also meet the demanding requirements of today's time. However, the three winning designs very well reflected this symbiosis of history and the present, and the jury also appreciated that after detailed development, these designs would have a chance of practical realization,” said one of the jury members, Akad. arch. Vladimír Kružík from the architectural and design office HELIKA a.s.

In all winning designs, the jury appreciated the correct selection of the location for the summer/forest stage in the middle of the adjacent park.

1st place

In the design by students of the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague, Kateřina Frejlachová and Martin Špičák, which was awarded first place, the jury also highlighted that the design does not disrupt the historical values of the area in any aspect, and its relationship to the monument is expressed non-invasively by referencing the ground plan of the cloister and the views of the vertical accents of the area. Another positive aspect of the design is its architectural form fulfilling the symbolism of the natural "forest" amphitheater and is also adequate for its location in the natural park near the historical complex. The design also appropriately addresses the requirement for optimal facilities for a natural amphitheater and an overall functional and typological solution, which seems functional even if the facility is not used as a summer theater.

2nd place

Second place was awarded to Alžběta Brůhová from the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design in Prague, whose design was characterized by a minimalist solution based on the simple idea of a variable scenic space, and like the proposal awarded first place, this one also did not disrupt the historical values of the area.

3rd place

In the design of students Karolína Mikitová and Hana Stloukalová from the Faculty of Architecture at the Brno University of Technology, which placed third, the jury praised the fulfillment of the requirement for optimal facilities for a natural amphitheater and an overall functional and typological solution and further noted the evident effort for architecture appropriate to the surrounding natural environment – minimalist "framing" of scenes without the use of rear covering of the stage.

The awarded designs were financially valued as follows: 1st place 35,000 CZK, 2nd place 25,000 CZK, and 3rd place 15,000 CZK.