The architects received the Parléř Award for the design of the cemetery renovation

Prague - Architects Martin Rosa and Jan Kratochvíl received the Peter Parléř Award for 2008 today in Prague. The organizers of this award aim to contribute to discussions about public spaces in cities and municipalities and potentially help cultivate them. Rosa and Kratochvíl received the award for their architectural proposal for the restoration of the municipal cemetery in Vítkov, Opava region.
    The jury particularly appreciated that the architects paid "tribute to the quiet space," emphasizing the memory of the historically significant site in the Sudetes while preserving its charm. According to the jury, people's attention can thus focus on places of silence and gathering, where the memory of the entire community is created.
    The other two partial awards are given by the competition partners. The Space for Life Award was given to the team of architects Michal Šrámek, Jan Proksa, and Lucie Vencelidisová for their study of a new center for the municipality of Svatobořice-Mistřín in the Hodonín region. The Award for Contribution to the Development of Architecture was received by Zbyněk Ryška for his proposal for the revitalization and extension of the former Ursuline convent in Jeseník, whose central element is the building of a new library.
    The architectural competition is organized by the Peter Parléř Society in two rounds. In the first round, cities and municipalities submit their proposals for modifications of public spaces and buildings into the selection process. From this, a maximum of ten competition assignments will emerge, which in the second round become the subject of the architectural competition.
    According to the organizers, the main benefit of the competition is the fact that even smaller towns can obtain architectural and urban studies for which they would not have the means. The competition helps locally reflect on public space and the role of architecture. Municipalities hold public debates about the proposals. Architects are interested in the competition even though it does not guarantee project realization. However, in some past editions of the competition, the realization or planning of up to half of the projects has taken place.
    The sixth edition of the competition involved 31 architects, and 15 architectural studies were submitted, which is less than the previous year when there were 40. Ultimately, the jury accepted 13 studies that focused on the assignments submitted by the towns of Hořovice, Cheb, Jeseník, Semily, Svatobořice-Mistřín, Třeboň, and Vítkov.