The best of reality is a brewery converted into apartments and offices

Prague - The Czech Republic knows the winner of the Best in Real Estate competition 2009. In the category of residential projects, the transformation of the former brewery in Prague's Holešovice won. The best office building became the first phase of the Futurama Business Park project in Prague-Karlín. The results of the real estate contest were announced today by the organizers.
    During the transformation of the Holešovice brewery, the jury appreciated the sensitive reconstruction of the former industrial building. Futurama Business Park earned the respect of experts for the overall approach of the builder and the architectural and operational solutions.
    The winner in the category of reconstructed offices also comes from Holešovice, which is the Classic 7 Business Park project. The judges praised the "excellent transformation of a neglected industrial building into a modern administrative object."
    In the category of shopping centers, the Prague Arkády Pankrác stood out. In the hotel category, the title was awarded to The Augustine Hotel in Prague 1 for its "harmonious combination and respect for historical buildings with elements of modern architecture."
    This year, the jury awarded a special prize to the National Technical Library in Prague-Dejvice. The award was given for being a model example of a public service building, its urban, architectural, and technical solutions, and the most significant demonstration of collaboration between the public and private sectors in real estate development to date.
    "I see it as very positive that even in a year that has been very difficult for investors and developers, and in which the impacts of the economic crisis have already manifested in full force, so many interesting projects have appeared on the market," stated Tomáš Drtina, the chairman of the expert jury.
    The jury members were experts from the Association for the Development of the Real Estate Market, developers, the Architects' Guild, real estate agents, and banks.