Plzeň knows the new form of the Patton monument, it is to be made of steel

Plzeň - Plzeň knows the design of the new proposal for the planned monument to American General George Patton, whose units liberated Plzeň in May 1945. A seven-member jury, which included the general's grandson George Patton Waters, today selected the winning project from 37 competition entries. It is approximately a nine-meter steel pylon, described the chairman of the jury Milan Košař. The cost of its construction is around 1.9 million crowns. The proposal still needs to be approved by the council.
    The new monument by Václav Zůna, Lubomír Čermák, and Tomáš Beneš takes the form of a stylized victory arch, with both sides bearing stylized profiles of Patton. The chosen material also alludes to the general's personality - the so-called cor-ten, which is a low-alloy steel with high resistance to weather conditions and corrosion. It symbolizes the armor of tanks from Patton's armored division. There is an inscription on the ground. The monument will be illuminated.
    A large number of the proposals featured the pylon design, many also used steel as a material evoking tank armor. There were also figurative designs or various objects. The winning piece, according to Košař, best combined artistic processing with the main idea and integration into the surrounding environment. All proposals will be on display from November 9 to 22 at the Peklo cultural center, announced the director of the Urban Planning and Development Department of Plzeň, Irena Vostracká.
    The general's grandson is satisfied with the choice. "The best design won. It invites reflection, and I think that's exactly what my grandfather was like. He always looked ahead, into the future, and considered the broader implications of things. That was certainly a reason for his success, and it will be a reason for the success of this monument," he is convinced.
    The design is also appreciated by the mayor Pavel Rödl. "It expresses everything that is needed - its height and monumentality express victory in World War II, there is a very subtle profile of General Patton, and for those who might not recognize him, there is a highlighted illuminated inscription on the ground," he described.
    Although the city has wished to build the monument for several years and two previous proposals have already failed, it is unclear when it will eventually stand. The realization is linked to the reconstruction of the terraces beneath the theater, the construction of a café, and the completion of modifications to the park circuit, all totaling around 40 million crowns. Due to the crisis, however, the city does not know when it will secure funds for this project, Rödl stated.
    The first attempt to create the Patton monument failed due to the collaboration of the author of the monumental bronze statue of the general with the former State Security. The city then initiated a tender process. A large-scale design full of symbols won. Ultimately, it could not be built near the Patton museum due to problems with engineering networks. The city then chose another location under the theater opposite the synagogue and announced another architectural competition.