The price of the Club for Old Prague is the renovation of the Renaissance tower in HK

Prague - The Club for Old Prague Award for the best new building in a historical setting was awarded today to the reconstruction and extension of the White Tower in Hradec Králové. The project was worked on by the studio Chmelík&partners. According to the award organizers, the minimalist structure demonstrates that contemporary architectural works can sensitively enter even the most valuable and picturesque corners of old towns. The Renaissance White Tower is a dominant feature of the historic city center.

The finale of the 13th edition of the Club for Old Prague Award brought a very balanced collection of six architectural achievements, according to the organizers. Their interpretations are, however, very diverse, ranging from buildings whose forms are derived from old traditions to modern minimalist cubes.

As the most successful among the nominees, the club also mentioned two other buildings. The Caolinum Center in Nevřeň serves this small community as a fire station, a small museum, and a community hall. "Plzeň architects Jakub Chvojka and Radek Dragoun gave it the traditional form of an agricultural building, which differs from its ancient models in the abstraction of its overall form and the daring shaping of the chimneys," stated the award chairman Rostislav Švácha.

According to him, the ecological center Open Garden at the foot of Brno's Špilberk also deserves mention. Thanks to it, gardens behind the houses on Údolní Street with views of the city have been made accessible to the public. "The Prague studio Projektil took over the old urban scheme of heavily utilized back lots and designed their new building in an appropriate ecological-minimalist spirit," he noted. Projektil previously received the club’s award for the National Technical Library.

This year's winner, the extension of the treasury and staircase to the White Tower in Hradec Králové, has already received recognition in the Grand Prix of the Architects' Association competition. The 16th-century tower is one of the most significant monuments in the city. During the reconstruction, all damaged parts were restored using conservation methods. A contemporary element – a metal staircase, landings, exhibition, and interactive elements with educational programs – was then integrated into the cleaned historical space of the tower.

This year's nominations included three other buildings. In Brno, a multifunctional building on Minsk Street by the studio Makovský&partners, building modifications, and the extension of the elementary school Hovorčovice by architect Ondřej Tuček, and a multifunctional building in Uherské Hradiště by Pavel Stojanov. For yet another time this year, Prague was not represented among the finalists. According to the organizers, in the capital city, quantity wins over quality, as money and developers' visions of achieving the highest possible profit from a given location prevail.

The Club for Old Prague aims to contribute to the dialogue between conservationists and architects through competitions, whose efforts sometimes seemingly oppose each other according to commonly shared opinion. The club values buildings that, in its view, do not disrupt the historical environment, excel in valuable architecture, and enhance their surroundings.