The design competition is seeking a possible form for the second tower of the cathedral in Plzeň

Plzeň - The idea architectural competition for the possible appearance of the second tower of St. Bartholomew's Cathedral in Plzeň has been announced by the local chain of cafés. The cathedral, a national cultural monument, has been the dominant feature of Plzeň's center since its founding in the late 13th century. According to the original plans, the church was supposed to have two towers, but those plans were later abandoned and the southern tower was never built. The architectural competition is now expected to bring ideas on what the second tower might potentially look like. Although there is currently no money or general willingness for its realization, it could be an idea that someone might revisit in the future, said architect Jiří Boudník today on behalf of the competition organizers.
    "In the realm of ideas and concepts, there can be no limit. It is an ideological competition, and even though winning will not lead to realization now, the authors should definitely take the competition seriously. Those two towers were supposed to be there 500 years ago; now we are actually requesting late proposals," said Boudník. According to him, the competition for domestic and foreign architects could bring forth a vision that future generations might embrace in two centuries and decide to build the tower. The jury of the competition will include leading experts, such as world-renowned architect Eva Jiřičná, architect and co-author of the television series "Šumná města" David Vávra, or the author of modern and for many controversial fountains in Plzeň's square, Ondřej Císler.
    According to Boudník, the competition has no restrictions regarding whether the tower design should be in a historicizing or modern spirit, nor does it define dimensions or materials. The tower does not even have to be physically tangible. "As architect David Vávra says, why couldn't the second tower be made of smoke and lights," Boudník noted.
    The cathedral belongs to the church, and although Bishop František Radkovský does not want a second tower, according to Boudník, he has reluctantly agreed to the competition. The idea of announcing the competition came from Jan Janák, the owner of the Plzeň café chain, who has reportedly wondered since childhood what the church with two towers would look like. According to Boudník, the whole project is also a contribution to raising the profile of the church and Plzeň, which will be the European Capital of Culture in 2015. As a reminder of this cultural title, the winner of the competition will receive a reward of 52,015 crowns.
    St. Bartholomew's Church began to take on its current form in the mid-14th century. It was originally supposed to have two towers, but in 1524, the southern tower burned down. The southern tower was not completed but was instead reduced to the level of the side aisle. In 1835, lightning struck the roof of the northern tower, which was then rebuilt in its current form two years later. The tower is 102.26 meters tall and is the tallest church tower in Bohemia. There are 301 steps leading to the lookout at a height of 62 meters.