Half of the proposals from the Petr Parléř Prize competition await realization

PRAGUE - In the third year of the competition for the Peter Parléř Award, four architectural pairs were successful, although the jury did not award the main prize. The theme of the competition again focused on the modifications of public spaces and buildings in public administration. A total of 39 cities applied for the competition, the highest number to date. The competition does not guarantee the realization of the awarded proposals; however, seven out of 14 are likely to come to fruition. The organizers of the competition told journalists today.
Of the awarded proposals from previous years, three are being realized, and four are in preparation for realization. Among the proposals that will take on a tangible form is last year's winning study for the modification of the square in Nepomuk in the Plzeň region. The study was developed by Vladimír Vašut and Viktor Vlach, who received one of the four partial awards this year for the architectural-urban plan for Masaryk Square in Nová Paka.
The same city was chosen by students Milan Balůšek and Matěj Parma from the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University, who also received a partial award. Both proposals are honored with 70,000 crowns. For the modification of Edmund Husserl Square in Prostějov, the prize went to graduates of the Faculty of Architecture at Brno University of Technology, Lukáš Bargel and Václav Čihák. The proposal for the renaissance of the cultural house in Čerčany earned a prize for their colleagues from the A1 Architects studio, Lenka Křemencová and David Maštálek. The last two mentioned prizes are associated with a reward of 30,000 crowns; if the jury awards the main prize, it is associated with a bonus of 200,000 crowns.
The jury invited participation from two hundred district-size cities and smaller ones. "We want to provoke these cities to engage in the cultivation of their space," said Allan Gintel from the organizing company of the Peter Parléř Award. The company intentionally does not target large cities where prestigious studios and creators participate in architectural competitions. With the award, they aim to give space to younger and emerging architects. However, after two editions, more established authors are also applying.
In the third edition, 39 cities registered with the task of identifying locations that they believe deserve modifications by architects or urban planners. The jury selected 12 proposals, which were decided to be developed by 29 creators. In the end, 14 studies were submitted to the competition. According to the organizers, the most recent edition was the most balanced from a professional point of view.
While more cities registered, the number of submitted studies decreased. The proposals for the registered cities are not binding; however, according to the organizers, they provoke significant discussion among residents, which is primarily the purpose of the competition. Conversely, there is no guarantee of the realization of their project for the architects. The next three editions of the competition should focus more on the realization of the winning projects to generate greater interest among architects, according to the organizers.