The main prize of the Grand Prix of Architects was awarded for the reconstruction of the canteen for Charles University

Prague – Today, the main prize in the Grand Prix Architektů competition was awarded to the creators from the studio Kuba & Pilař architekti for the renovation of the dining hall Koleje 17. listopadu for the Faculty of Humanities at Charles University in Prague. Besides awards in specific categories according to building types, the competition organized by the Architects' Association also awards a lifetime achievement award. The organizers presented this award today at the Bethlehem Chapel to Viktor Rudiš.

Ladislav Kuba, Tomáš Pilař, and Martin Klimecký from the Brno studio Kuba & Pilař architekti succeeded with their renovation of an 80s building. The original dining hall and dormitory buildings by architect Karel Prager remained as remnants of an unfinished university campus complex on the banks of the Vltava River. In the renovation, the authors proposed to preserve the external shape and proportions of the original dining hall. A fundamental intervention is the creation of a central atrium space with skylights. Among the materials used, exposed concrete prevails, and the space is dominated by a set of orange-colored lounge furniture.

In the New Building category, today’s award went to the extension of an office in Vysoké Mýto, which was worked on by Martin Prokš and Marek Přikryl. For the renovation of the Holešovice building for the Prague 7 city council, the Atelier bod architekti received an award in the Renovation category. The project documentation for the reconstruction of Libušín, a monument at Pustevny in the Beskids that completely burned down seven years ago, earned an award in the Reconstruction category for the studio Masák & Partner. The commemorative restoration of the building has already received the Gloria Musaealis award for the most significant museum achievement of the year and the top award in the Construction of the Year 2020 competition in the Zlín region.

According to the jury, the best family house is the Dům na Kozině by the studio atelier 111 architekti, the project Věčná loviště by the studio Petr Hájek architekti won in the Small Architecture category, and the best sustainable building was announced as the gazebo of the municipal library in Vamberk by author Martin Kožnar. According to the jury, there were many environmentally friendly projects, so they also awarded two honorable mentions.

In the Landscape Architecture category, the restoration of the carriage horse landscape won, with the National Stud Kladruby nad Labem as its investor. The organizers announced the winning project, but not the authors. In connection with the announcement of the awards, an architect filed a complaint with the supervisory board of the Czech Chamber of Architects regarding authorship.