Rudolf Eitelberger Prize 2023 - announcement of finalists

The ceremonial announcement of the winner and finalists of the eighth year of the Rudolf Eitelberger Award will take place
on September 30, 2023, in the newly renovated Red Church of the Scientific Library in Olomouc. This year, the jury has sent nine projects to the finals. Which one will take home the main prize?

The award named after the famous Olomouc-born figure maps the best in architecture, urban planning, and heritage preservation in Olomouc and the Olomouc region over the past two years. “To ensure that the overview is truly of high quality, a two-year assessment interval has proven effective, as there is then much to choose from”, explains Jana Kiessewetterová, the chairwoman of the association. The award has been granted since 2008 and prides itself on a carefully selected nine-member jury. This year, in addition to local specialists (Jana Křenková, František Chupík) and competent council members Rostislav Švácha (chairman of the committee), the architects were Zdenka Vydrová, Imrich Vaško, Jan and Barbora Horovi, and art historian Martina Hrabová.
The committee faced the challenging task of selecting a manageable number of finalists and the main winner from twenty-five nominated buildings. “For two days, they traveled throughout the Olomouc region, passionately discussing who would remain in the finals. Particularly for the competition organizers, these are painful moments; many architects and investors also experience disappointment when their building is eliminated. Just like in sports!”, adds Martina Mertová, describing the proceedings.

Who among the nine finalists will take home the main prize will be revealed to interested parties traditionally as part of the Day of Architecture festival. For now, we can reveal which studios and buildings have progressed to the finals. Renovations have again performed very well: for example, the corner house at Kateřinská 13 for the new Research Scientific Center of the Cyril and Methodius Theological Faculty of UP by Ječmen studio, the administration building at Masarykova 50 by the studio Masparti, Atelier R of Miroslav Pospíšil with the adaptation of the Red Church, Jiří Markevič and Jaroslav Sedlák for the renovated eagle house in Vřesovice, and among new constructions, the Center for Highway Management and Maintenance in Přerov by the Brno studio Pelčák and Partners, a family house by the team Malý Chmel, or the football stadium by Vít Janků in Postřelmov. “This year, the jury also decided on several atypical categories, but we will keep those as a surprise”, adds Jana Kiessewetterová.

The evening will be traditionally led by the seasoned duo Rostislav Švácha (chairman of the committee) and Martina Mertová from the organizing association Za krásnou Olomouc.