The Club Za starou Prahu Award for 2025 was received by the New Lauby in Ostrava

Prague – The winner of the Klubu Za starou Prahu Award for 2025, which honors the highest quality new construction in a historical environment, is the Ostrava residential building Nové Lauby by the studio Znamení čtyř – architects. There were six finalists, and this year no nomination was from Prague. The winners of the 22nd edition received their diplomas today at the Boršov café in Prague.

The Nové Lauby residential building met all the criteria according to the club representatives, according to which the awards are given. It was built in the city center on the site of houses demolished in the 1950s and 60s near Masaryk Square in Ostrava. Its ground floor also evokes the Ostrava arcades. Part of the apartments are rented by the city, while a larger portion is for sale. The project included underground garages. The construction was made from quality materials, the evaluators emphasized.

All finalists received recognition. The Kinetic Pavilion near the Radíč Castle in the Příbram district was designed by five creators from the Hutě architektury led by Martin Rajniš for a private owner of the castle. The movable wooden panels can either let in sunlight or completely close off the space. According to the club, the building has a light character and includes almost everything that a garden pavilion can have. The project won a competition last year at the international architectural platform Big See.

An extension to the primary school was opened in Veverské Knínice near Brno. It was designed by architects from the New Work studio to complement the buildings of the municipal office, the Sokol building, and St. Nicholas Church, next to which the school is located. The ground-floor extension with a green roof stands out for its minimalist design and respects the views of the church.

The Josef Kaluhy Multifunctional Sports Hall at the Palachova Primary School in Brandýs nad Labem was also in the finals. Atelier 99 conceived it on the edge of the heritage zone as a modular space with the possibility of being divided into gymnasiums. Another awarded school gym is located in the Drahotuše area of Hranice na Moravě, designed by Studio PAB, taking the form of a pure cube.

The Oskar House in Kamenná Lhota in the Tábor district was placed by architect Jan Žaloudek in a baroque, originally castle garden, which is a cultural monument. The recreational building was embedded in a historical context and evokes agricultural architecture, according to the club.

The new town hall of Bělohrad Spa in the Jičín region received special recognition from the jury, designed by the re:architekti studio. It could not receive the club award because the new building had to yield to a neo-Renaissance house.

The club's domestic council evaluates new constructions situated in historical environments based on five criteria, focusing on aesthetics, context, and contribution.

Last year, the award was received by the Art Studios of the Faculty of Education at Masaryk University in Brno. They were designed by architect Michal Palaščak with Karolína Burešová and Jan Flídra.