The councilors of Plzeň want fountains in the square that won the competition

PLZEŇ - According to the city councillors, three fountains should be located in the historic square of Plzeň, the author of which, Ondřej Císler, won a two-round public competition last year. However, the councillors did not accept the proposal, which raised mixed reactions. Nevertheless, the councillors believe that the architect should realize the fountains, although they should undergo some changes compared to the original plans. The city monumentologists must first comment on the changes, after which the proposals will be presented to the councillors.
For the fountains, which were to consist of up to five-meter hollow prisms with water flowing into reservoirs made of artificial stone, the surface should be changed, for example. Instead of the originally proposed golden color, they should be stone, Plzeň mayor Miroslav Kalous (ODS) said to journalists today. The bodies of the fountains should also be shifted so that they stand in stone containers, from which water will reportedly spout. The city will establish a working group to discuss the design and technology options with the architect.
If the councillors accept the modified proposals, models of the fountains in real size will first be erected in the square. Their impact on the surroundings will be examined. For example, the noise level from the flowing water and the dispersion of water outside the catchment containers will be assessed.
In the competition for the design of fountains, which, according to the city's plans, are to fill three corners of the square, 42 proposals were submitted two years ago. The jury unanimously considered Císler's solution to be the best. Other proposals were ranked as far down as third place. The jury saw Císler's fountains as an inventive connection between the present and tradition. While architects mostly appreciated the modern design, some monumentologists were against it, and it was often unpopular with citizens as well. At the exhibition of proposals, 83 percent of the 2,400 voters were against the winning variant of the fountains.
Císler and several experts argued that the fountains were tailor-made for the square, correspond with it, highlight it, but at the same time do not undermine the valuable historical buildings in the area.