The Prague square of Miloš Forman will be transformed according to the design of the Danish studio ADEPT

Prague – The Prague Square of Miloš Forman next to the Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel (formerly Intercontinental) will be transformed according to the design by the Danish studio ADEPT. This was decided by the jury of the architectural and urban planning competition, which included 197 studios. The design includes, for example, a pavilion, a water installation, greenery, and traffic calming in the area. The winner was announced at today's festive announcement at the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning. The estimated costs of around 150 million koruna will be covered by the owners of the adjacent hotel, Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera.

The hotel and its surroundings were purchased in 2019 by entrepreneurs Oldřich Šlemr, Kučera, and Baudiš through the family office R2G. They subsequently began the renovation of the hotel, which opened last spring. The owners' plans also included modifications to its surroundings, including the square, which has been named after director Miloš Forman since 2018.

The design of the square emerged from a competition announced last year, in which, in addition to the owners, the city of Prague and the city district Prague 1 participated. A total of 197 studios from 42 countries originally registered for the competition, making it the most participated architectural competition in the Czech Republic to date. The jury subsequently selected six studios that advanced to the shortlist.

The winning proposal ultimately became the design from the Danish studio ADEPT, whose appearance, according to the jury, should calm traffic in the area, remove barriers in the locality, and significantly expand the space for the public. The plan also includes at least 17 trees and greenery to be planted in the area. Part of the solution is also a pavilion with a roof connecting to the ground and rental spaces or a water installation in the central part of the square. The jury also appreciated the connection of the square's design to the historic center of the metropolis and Paris Street.

The Piazzetta has an area of about 3200 m², with at least 3000 m² remaining publicly accessible according to the competition's requirements, of which at least 600 m² will consist of greenery. Rental spaces should constitute no more than 1200 m².

"The project offers a central space suitable for cultural events and gatherings, while the arc of the retail ground floor defines the corner of Paris and Bílkovy Streets and clearly defines the boundary of the territory," stated the jury chair, Sarah M. Whiting, Dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Design and co-founder of WW Architecture.

According to the Deputy Mayor of Prague and Vice-Chairman of the jury Petr Hlaváček, the competition's brief was designed to create more public space than currently exists, as a large part of the square is inaccessible. Requirements also included commercial spaces and greenery. "The winning design meets all these demands. It has less commercial space than other proposals, but the jury considered that adequate. The entire area of the square should also be accessible compared to today," Hlaváček told reporters.

The jury was composed of experts in architecture and urbanism, as well as representatives of the investor, the municipality, the city district, and the Civic Association of Prague 1.

Part of the original plans of the owners of the Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel included a new building in the square for commercial purposes in addition to the hotel renovation. However, due to local protests and intervention by the Ministry for Local Development due to inconsistencies with the zoning plan, this was ultimately abandoned. Instead, following an agreement with city representatives, an architectural competition for a new design of the square was announced.