The future shape of Miloš Forman Square in Prague will be determined by an international competition

Prague - The owners of the Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel (formerly Intercontinental) have announced an international architectural-urban competition in cooperation with the capital city and Prague 1 for the design of Miloš Forman Square. Representatives of the owners, the hotel, the magistrate, and the district announced this to journalists today. The results of the competition for the space adjacent to the hotel will be known on January 20 next year. The plan to build a commercial new construction on the square had previously sparked criticism from local residents.

The hotel and its surroundings were purchased in 2019 by entrepreneurs Oldřich Šlemr, Eduard Kučera, and Pavel Baudiš through the family office R2G. They subsequently initiated renovations of the hotel, which reopened under a new name in mid-April this year. The owners' plans also included modifications to the surrounding area, including the square, which has been named after director Miloš Forman since 2018.

While most of the other modifications are already complete, the plans for the square have stalled due to resistance from local residents and local authorities, who disliked the plan to build a glass commercial building in the space. The original plan was scrapped following the intervention of the Ministry for Regional Development, which found the construction to be in conflict with the zoning plan. The owners then applied for a modification of the plan, which is now at the magistrate in the phase of an approved proposal.

At the same time, the owners agreed with the capital city and Prague 1 to organize a competition to determine the future shape of the piazzetta. According to the co-owner of the hotel, Pavel Baudiš, the vacant and neglected spot in the center of Prague is a unique opportunity for architects, and the purpose of the competition is to create a reason to spend time there. "It's the roof of garages, so a full-fledged park with mature trees simply cannot be created there. It has to be resolved somehow, and if it's supposed to work in the long term, it should have some economic return so that at least the operation of what is created there can be covered," he told ČTK today.

He added that any potential smaller construction would not significantly disrupt the space, and the hotel owners never intended for the area to be built up to a greater extent. The competition was also supported today by Prague's Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (STAN) and the Mayor of Prague 1 Terezie Radoměřská (TOP 09). "Miloš Forman Square is now in an absolutely unbearable state. We will strive to emphasize greenery, water elements, and similar features in the designs," Radoměřská stated.

Interested participants can now submit applications for the competition until June 2, which must include three previous works on a similar topic. The jury will then select 12 studios, from which five teams will proceed to the next round on June 13. In September, architects will present their developed proposals to the public and the jury, and at the end of January 2026, the judges will choose the winner of the competition from the completed proposals.