Brandýs selected the winning architectural design for the joint school in Stará Boleslav

Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav – Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav has selected an architectural design for a joint school in Stará Boleslav. The jury chose from 31 designs at the end of last week, and the winner will be announced on June 26, pending approval from city councilors. In addition to the architectural design, the competition included a project. The city plans to present all designs in the coming weeks, said Kateřina Stránská from the city to ČTK today. The school, designed for approximately 900 children, could open in September 2026. The original estimate accounted for costs of 550 million crowns excluding VAT.

"In the end, it was weighed between a bold design and a 'safe choice'. Both are modern, playful on the inside. The latter, however, is more mundane on the outside, which neither excites nor offends. We chose courage," said Deputy Mayor Patrick Zandl (Pirates) on Facebook. According to him, the designs were of good quality and diverse. "One explicitly pushed for a cheap construction, while another was not as restrained," Zandl stated. The authors of one of the designs, for example, proposed to arrange school classrooms like a village square with separate houses. "Not uncommon was the use of entirely wooden structures. Working with heat recovery, photovoltaics, self-sufficiency of buildings, heat pumps, and grey water was standard," added the deputy mayor. The city will distribute three million crowns among the three best designs.

The school, located on a three-hectare plot between Třebízského and Lhotecká streets, is to be a joint project established by a voluntary association of municipalities. According to Mayor Robert Pecha (You Are the City), there is significant interest from municipalities in joining the association. Representatives from 15 municipalities attended the first meetings, including those from Káraný, Nový Vestec, Skorkovice, Konětopy, Dřísy, Křenek, Borek, or Záryby. The contribution from municipalities will depend on the reserved number of spots in the school, according to Pecha. "Negotiations with potential members of the association are still ongoing," Stránská stated.

The new school plans to have 36 base classrooms for both primary and secondary education and 15 to 19 specialized classrooms. The complex is to include, for example, an outdoor athletic track, a gym for extracurricular sports activities, an auditorium for 250 people, and a school library. The planned school kitchen, with a capacity of up to 2500 meals, could in the future supply all schools in Boleslav.