Architects were tasked with bringing life back to Mendlovo Square

According to city architect Michal Sedláček, although the space bears the name of a square, it has historically lost this function. "The competition is conceptual, and the task of the participants is to propose a solution that would bring life back to the square," stated Sedláček. A small park with restrooms and a café has recently been created on the edge of the square.

Old Brno is one of the longest-inhabited places in the area of today's Moravian metropolis. Early medieval Brno with a Přemyslid castle likely lay on the banks of the Svratka River between today's Poříčí and Mendlovo Square, rather than around the Petrov hill and today's narrower center, according to historians.

The appearance of Old Brno was affected by bombings during World War II, as well as demolitions in the 1960s. Several residential blocks, the town hall, river baths, and much more disappeared. A fragment of the original development remains in the middle of the square. The open areas are used for transport. "Although the place retains the name of a square, in reality, it is mainly a transport terminal and several intersections, not a functioning public space," stated competition secretary David Mikulášek.

Participants in the competition are building upon a newly developed traffic study commissioned by the city. It separates trams from car traffic and creates a new transfer hub in the area of the current stops for line number 6. Cars would drive around the monastery towards Křížová Street.

The reconstruction depends on the completion of the large city ring road section at Žabovřeská, which will take a significant part of the traffic, especially transit, away from the square.

Due to the complexity of the task, the city announced the competition as invited, directly addressing seven participants. Among them are the studios of Rusín and Wahla or Architects Hrůša & spol., which have already worked on proposals for Mendlovo Square. The deadline for submitting competition proposals is September 7th. The public will be introduced to the results in the fall.