The Grand Prix of Architects 2012 was awarded for the revitalization of the Bastion at the Boží muk

Prague - The absolute winner of this year's Grand Prix of Architects is the revitalization of the Bastion near Boží muk in Prague 2. The expert jury appreciated that the revitalization richly meets the criteria of several categories - reconstruction, landscape architecture, garden creation, minor architecture, interior, and urban furniture. In the 19th year of this prestigious competition, the jurors selected from a total of 71 registered projects, and the results were announced at today's festive evening at the Veletržní palace.
     The modification of the forgotten space in the long-neglected area on Horská Street in Prague by authors Miroslav Cikán and Pavla Melková from MCA Atelier was created based on the winning design of a public architectural competition announced by the Prague 2 municipality in 2007. The new building was designed as an underground structure that offers versatile use: a universal hall for exhibitions, social events, or a café, along with facilities for the public and operations. "It was clear to us that we did not want to build a new above-ground structure in place of the original, which would insensitively interfere with the panorama and violate the intact silhouette of the city walls," noted Pavla Melková.
     The Grand Prix of Architects - National Architecture Award is a showcase of contemporary architectural works organized by the Association of Architects. The competition is open, allowing both Czech and foreign architects, designers, and artists to participate. The condition is that their work must have been completed in the past year and on the territory of the Czech Republic.
     The projects submitted to the Grand Prix competed in a total of six categories. A five-member international jury led by Slovak member of the Czech Chamber of Architects Andrea Klimko further awarded six other prizes, three honorable mentions, and recognized architects Jan Kozel and Karel Koutský for their lifetime achievements.
     All projects submitted to the competition can be viewed by interested parties at the exhibition, which is accessible at the Veletržní palace until June 10. After that, the exhibition will move to Czech cities and subsequently abroad.
     Last year's winner of the Grand Prix of Architects was the Residential Building with Gymnasium in Prague 1.