The competition for the second tower of the Plzeň Cathedral was one of the most successful

Plzeň - One of the most successful architectural competitions in the Czech Republic has become the conceptual competition for the design of a second tower for St. Bartholomew's Cathedral in Plzeň, announced in April by a network of cafes in Plzeň. Proposals came from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the USA, despite the minimal chances of realizing the building. The Gothic cathedral in the central square is a national cultural monument, and it is unlikely that anything will be added to it in the foreseeable future. According to the owner of the cafes and the author of the idea to add a tower, Jan Janák, the competition made sense - it highlighted the cathedral, the city, and opened space for new and unusual ideas.
    "The competition was very successful; 137 proposals arrived, seven were disqualified, and the jury assessed 130. In the history of Czech architectural competitions, this is the second place after the National Library," summarized Janák. The jury, led by the world-renowned architect Eva Jiřičná and David Vávra, ultimately selected a slender golden tower as the best proposal. "Despite being taller than the current one, it is not larger, bulkier, or more dominant. It pairs well with the old tower. It respects everything original while adding a completely new dimension to the cathedral," noted the jury.
    The church has been the dominant feature of Plzeň's center since its inception in the late 13th century. Over time, its appearance has also changed, adopting characteristics of various styles and epochs. According to historical sources, the church was once supposed to have two towers, but those plans were abandoned, and the southern tower was never built. The current tower, which rises more than 102 meters, is the tallest church tower in Bohemia.
    According to Janák, the competition brought proposals ranging from imaginative to humorous and feasible ideas. The authors used stone, steel, plastics, glass, wood, aluminum prefabricates, and there were also proposals that simulated the second tower through optical visualizations, projections, or reflections in mirrors.
    Plzeň Bishop František Radkovský is not in favor of another tower being built at the cathedral, but he does not dismiss the competition and welcomes the attention brought to the Bartholomew church. "The cathedral is already perfect, but it has also changed over the centuries. It is a living organism, and it needs to be approached with humility, but also with courage. Perhaps a seed has been sown now that will someday sprout," he said. He did not rule out that some future generations might change the appearance of the church. However, none of the current proposals have struck him strongly enough to believe that they should definitely be realized. "If the cathedral is really missing something right now, it is bells. And it seems that they may return to the tower after 70 years," the bishop stated.
    As a side activity of the architectural competition, a collection was created for the acquisition of new bells. There are currently only two on the tower, but the main large bell Bárta and other bells needed to create harmony are missing. In 1942, the Nazis took the bells away and melted them down.
    More than 690,000 crowns have already been collected in the cafe donation boxes and accounts; according to the bishop, there is a serious promise of additional amounts, including a million crown sum. It would take nearly nine million crowns for the four new bells for the cathedral, including the five-ton Bárta, and for the necessary technical and construction work.