Leopoldov - The city of Leopoldov has announced an architectural competition "City Hall in Leopoldov". Competitors can submit proposals until September 16, 2014. The winner will be decided by a jury, which includes renowned architects Ing.arch. Pavol Paňák (co-author of the new Slovak National Theatre and NBS headquarters), Ing.arch. Martin Jančok (winner of the CE-ZA-AR award in 2011, 2012) and Ing.arch. Michal Kuzemenský (multiple member of Czech competition juries) as well as representatives of the local government, Mayor JUDr. Milan Gavorník and councilman Ing. Róbert Gergič.
Saved 800 thousand euros The current, approximately one-hundred-year-old office building is no longer functionally or aesthetically adequate. The local government decided between its reconstruction and extension or the construction of a new building. In the end, they left it to the competitors to decide what makes sense to reconstruct on the premises and what needs to be built anew. Thanks to the long-term effective management of the city, the councilors were able to allocate up to 800 thousand from the budget for the realization.
Not to be a city only on paper Leopoldov was declared a city relatively recently, in 1971. According to the mayor, previously "Leopoldov was referred to as a small town. It was neither a city nor a village, something in between." Together with the council, they have been trying for several years to give it an urban character so that it is a city not only de jure but also de facto. So far, they have reconstructed three centers where residents naturally move in greater numbers: the pre-station area, the sports and cultural center near the stadiums, and the square, at the edge of which stands the office building. The competition proposals for the city hall should build on the ongoing strengthening of Leopoldov's urban character. "We would like to build a facility that architecturally fits the 21st century,... a facility that will create a certain whole with the newly built square and will be its modern part," said Mayor JUDr. Milan Gavorník. Architectural competitions around the world In comparably sized Switzerland, around 500 competitions are held annually, in Austria about 100, in the Czech Republic approximately 30, and in Slovakia up to 10. Switzerland has a tradition of architectural competitions lasting over a century, enjoying public recognition and contributing to the quality of the environment. "When procuring chairs, it is appropriate to decide based on price. However, when it comes to such a complex service as the design of an office that is to serve citizens for decades, a design competition makes sense. A professional jury can recognize whether the project is of high quality," adds Ing. arch. Peter Lényi from the 2021 atelier, who is a professional consultant for the competition.
