Kasl: The announcement of a new competition for the Výtoň Bridge decreases trust in competitions

Prague – The announcement of a new architectural competition for the renovation of the railway bridge at Prague's Výtoni, despite the fact that the Railway Administration (SŽ) has already conducted one competition, decreases trust in architectural contests. This was stated by the chairman of the Czech Chamber of Architects and former Prague mayor Jan Kasl. The SŽ is expected to announce a new international competition next year, the company's spokesperson said. The decision to renovate the bridge instead of replacing it with a new one was announced on Tuesday by Minister of Transport Martin Kupka and SŽ director Jiří Svoboda.

"The announcement of a new architectural competition that negates the previous one certainly does not contribute to the credibility of architectural competitions, nor does it inspire trust among designers in the fair assessment of their work," said Kasl. He noted that in the original competition announced in 2021, there were proposals that considered some form of renovation of the bridge, but none succeeded.

According to Kasl, the result of the ministry's decision is wasted time, unnecessarily spent public funds, and thwarted creative work of both the competitors and evaluators. "No one challenged the competitive dialogue regarding the Výtoni bridge, and its results were not disputed after the announcement of the outcomes," he added.

"The winner of the architectural competition fulfilled their obligations by preparing an architectural study. They submitted it properly and on time, and it was compensated," informed the ČTK, spokesperson for SŽ, Nela Eberl Friebová. The company will now begin negotiations about the new competition with heritage conservators and representatives of Prague. To avoid a similar outcome with the new competition, SŽ wants to focus on its thorough preparation.

In 2021, the Railway Administration announced an international architectural competition to address the poor condition of the bridge, with results presented a year later. The winning project from the company 2T engineering proposed that the lower part with the piers remain intact while the riveted structure would be replaced with a new one. The existing structure was to be used elsewhere.

The Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA) issued a confirmation of the regularity of the competitive dialogue regarding the form of the Výtoni bridge in 2021, having issued 60 such confirmations for the year 2024. The purpose of the assessment from the ČKA is to ensure fair conditions for the participants in the competition. The Ministry of Transport's decision is respected by the chamber, according to its spokesperson Barbora Sedlářová.

On Tuesday, representatives of the company 2T engineering and the team from SUDOP Praha and TOP CON SERVIS, which prepared the project documentation for it, criticized the ministry's decision. They argued that the state prioritized heritage protection and conservation over all other considerations. Conversely, the chosen approach was supported by representatives of associations and the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ).

The railway bridge at Výtoni was put into operation on August 15, 1872, when it was single-track. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was replaced with a double-track bridge. With its historic riveted structure, it represents, according to experts, a significant technical cultural monument in Prague's heritage reserve. Due to its poor condition, the operation of trains on the bridge has been significantly limited for several years, and SŽ deemed it necessary to replace it due to severe corrosion.