The Building of the Year in the Karlovy Vary Region is the reconstruction of the Bernard farm

Karlovy Vary - The expert panel has chosen the reconstruction of the Bernard farm, a historical building transformed into the Center for Traditional Crafts by the municipality of Královské Poříčí last year, as the Building of the Year in the Karlovy Vary Region. This year, the project of renovation of the Felix Zawojski house in Karlovy Vary emerged victorious among the projects. The results were announced this evening at the For Arch Karlovy Vary exhibition. Anna Vlášková from the Regional Construction Association of Karlovy Vary, which organizes the exhibition, informed ČTK about it.
The reconstruction of the Bernard farm also received the award from the governor of the Karlovy Vary Region this year. The farmyard was built in 1922 in the traditional Cheb style of half-timbered buildings next to the closed deep mine Bernard. The complex included residential buildings, agricultural and administrative structures, stables, sheds for machinery and tools, and was designated for agricultural production. It was used this way until the early 1980s. It was then abandoned due to the expansion of mining activities.
The facility, originally intended for demolition, was purchased by the municipality in the 1990s, which developed a project for its use and also received a grant from the Phare program. Students also worked on the restoration of the farm. The main part of the reconstruction took place from November 2005 to last October. Since the end of the year, the farm has regularly hosted entertainment events, fairs, and markets. Additionally, spaces will be created for the establishment of an educational center about the Ohře River.
The expert panel also awarded projects for the reconstruction of the Castle Tower in Karlovy Vary and the U Zámku guesthouse in Habartov. The jury’s special prize was awarded to the first phase of the modernization of Karlovy Vary Airport.
The awarded project of the Felix Zawojsky house involves modifications to the house built in 1897, which is the most stylistically pure and highest quality representation of Art Nouveau in Karlovy Vary. Felix Zawojski was last used as a banking house for the Živnostenská banka. The aim of the renovations is to transform it into a hotel with ten comfortable rooms. A shop will operate in the former bank hall with counters on the ground floor. The house is richly decorated both externally and internally.
The Public Award, which allowed voting either directly at the exhibition or online, was won this year by the PAC KALIBRA NOVA building. The sales and administrative center is located in the central part of the village of Otovice and is part of the KALIBRA s.r.o. complex. The best project selected by the public was the reconstruction of the Quisisana Palace.
Prizes were also awarded to exhibitors. The main prize was awarded to the presentation of HOCO BAUELEMENTE Praha, from the For Arch exhibition to LIAS Vintířov, and from the Housing exhibition to Zahrada Teplá.