Brno will announce a competition for the renovation of the Roman Square

Brno - The so-called Roman Square in the center of Brno will undergo reconstruction costing tens of millions of crowns. The city council will announce an architectural competition in mid-June, with the winner expected to be announced around autumn. The first step is to establish a professional jury, the composition of which was approved by the Brno city council on Tuesday.
    As independent experts, Slovak architects Ján Stempel and Henrieta Moravčíková will sit on the jury. Stempel is the author of a publication on architecture in the Visegrad Four countries, while Moravčíková focuses on architecture at the Slovak Academy of Sciences. The third expert will be Brno architect Zbyněk Pech. Representatives from Brno will also sit on the jury, including city council member Jiří Oliva (ČSSD) and councilor Kateřina Dubská (SZ). The city will announce the competition in mid-June, and participants will have the summer to prepare their designs. In September, the jury will begin reviewing the proposals, and by the end of September, the public will also be able to see them.
    The residents of Brno refer to the enclosed space between Františkánská and Josefská streets as Roman Square. The name originated in the 18th century, and even though the authorities designated the area as Františkánská Street in 1867, the name Roman Square is still in use today.
    The city already has some ideas about the new look of the square. "The city will insist that the square retains its character, which it has now, to be a corner of tranquility amidst the bustle of the historical center of the city. The location of the square predisposes it to that," believes Deputy Mayor Martin Ander. There is no tram line running through the small square, and cars do not drive there.
    Thus, people should have the opportunity to relax in a restaurant garden or on a bench in the square, and a water feature or attractions for children should not be missing. "Certainly one of the interesting ideas that has come up, and which I assume will appear in the proposals, is the use of the square for occasional markets with various specific goods, whether handmade products or local produce," added Ander.