Hradec Králové has not found a designer for the repair of the northern terraces even for the fourth time

Hradec Králové - Hradec Králové has not found a designer for the reconstruction of the historic northern terraces and the adjacent Žižkov Gardens in the city center even after the fourth attempt. The project in its current form thus ends, and the city will look for other options on how to proceed with the repairs of the terraces and gardens. This was stated today by the Deputy Mayor for Investments, Lukáš Řádek (TOP 09). The city had a grant of 71 million crowns from the European ITI program for the construction, which it will lose with the termination of the project. The terraces are in a state of emergency and have been closed to the public for over ten years.

Since the summer of 2024, the city hall has gradually announced three tenders, but no one applied. Earlier this year, the city hall organized preliminary market consultations with potential bidders. Based on these, the council selected a negotiation procedure without publication, where the city negotiated directly with two bidders regarding the contract. Eventually, one offer came in, but due to the very high price, the city did not accept it, and the city council canceled the tender on Tuesday.

The northern terraces stand on the site of former city walls and, along with the Žižkov Gardens, are located within the municipal heritage conservation area. The city hall has been preparing for the revitalization of the area since 2012; five years ago, it obtained a binding land-use decision. The costs of the reconstruction, which is among the city's investment priorities, were estimated by the city hall to be up to 200 million crowns.

"It may have turned out that the project as we inherited it is not entirely viable. We tried to continue; we did absolutely everything the law allows us; however, we could not select the designer of the project documentation," Řádek stated. He previously attributed issues in finding a designer to the limited capacities of designers and the nonfunctional system of digitalizing building permits.

The city will now consider changing its strategy for the reconstruction of the terraces and gardens, and proposals for possible solutions should be submitted by the municipal department of the chief architect according to Řádek. He noted that during the preparation of the project, the appearance of vegetation on the terraces changed, and the stability of the retaining walls further deteriorated. It might also be considered to separate the reconstruction of the gardens and terraces into two independent parts. Alternatively, the project could be commissioned as a whole, from the architectural study to the execution documentation.

The existing plans included not only the repair of the terraces and their staircases but also the construction of a new staircase to Kavčí plácek. The drainage system was to be modified. The current sanitation and rainwater drainage system is nearly nonfunctional and insufficient, causing water accumulation on the terraces and further worsening their condition. The stability of the terraces is also degraded by the strong root system of some trees.

The appearance of the gardens was to approximate the concept of the park from 1905 by architect František Thomayer, who designed the gardens as a French decorative garden with abundant floral plantings. The circular fountain in the middle of the gardens was also to be restored, and new urban furnishings were planned. A large portion of the work would involve the replacement and repair of engineering networks.