Liberec is recording a record interest among architects for construction at the so-called Papírák

Liberec - Liberec is registering a record interest among architects for three contracts to create documentation for seven apartment buildings and a parking garage in the lower center, specifically in the area nicknamed Papírák or Papírové náměstí. The deadline for applications expired today, and dozens of architectural or design studios expressed interest. Jiří Janďourek (Mayors for the Liberec Region), the deputy mayor for architecture, public space, and transport construction, said this to ČTK today. According to him, they usually had fewer than ten offers until now.

"Now we will evaluate it, and I can say that there was significant interest from architects. I think I have not known greater interest in contracts for design in Liberec in history," said the deputy mayor. He added that, given the ongoing competition, he cannot yet disclose how many offers the city hall received. "We need to evaluate everything. I think that within two months we will know the result, possibly even sooner," he added.

The so-called Papírák between Soukenné náměstí and the primary school on Barvířská street has long been one of the most neglected areas in the center of the hundred-thousand-strong city. This area has multiple landowners, with the city owning the most; it owns approximately 10,000 square meters. The city hall's ambition is to transform the area into a creative and residential quarter.

One of the first steps was the completion two months ago of the reconstruction of the dilapidated and underutilized building of the former Linser factory on Resslová street, costing nearly 43 million crowns, which should begin operating as a cultural and creative center by the end of this year. Next year, the construction of municipal terraces, which will border Papírák towards Sokolovské náměstí, should follow. In the next phase, the construction of apartment buildings and a parking garage should begin, for which the city is looking for designers. The city hall estimates that it will distribute approximately 50 million crowns among architects for the documentation preparation. The actual construction will cost over a billion crowns.

The city hall intentionally divided the contract for architects into three parts to involve more entities in the project preparation. "There are conditions that whoever wins block A cannot win blocks B and C," Janďourek said earlier. The city hopes that the development will be more diverse than if it were designed by a single designer.

The city hall plans to build apartment buildings with approximately 150 apartments in the Papírák area and a parking garage for 300 to 400 cars, which should replace the surface parking in this area. The city hall wants to have mainly larger apartments in the buildings, most commonly of the 3+kk type and about 70 square meters in size. "This will be housing intended mainly for families with children and for professions such as teachers, police officers, and healthcare workers. The changes also include a complete renewal of public spaces, streets, and courtyards. We would like to start the implementation in the years 2028 to 2030," added the deputy mayor.