Jeseník announced an architectural competition for a new design of Smetanovy Sady

Jeseník - The most significant park in Jeseník, Smetana Gardens, is set to receive a new look in the future. An open architectural competition, announced by the Jeseník city hall in recent days, is expected to bring about this transformation. The city hopes that the competition will restore the park, currently burdened with numerous deficiencies, to its full utilization and regain its lost prestige. This was reported by city hall spokesperson Markéta Kaniová.

"A quality renovation of Smetana Gardens could create not only a pleasant space for locals but also an exceptional project within the Czech Republic. It is necessary to address the spatial relationships in the area and the overall connectivity of the studied area to the urbanism of the city. The architectural competition is a good opportunity to think about the problems in the area in a truly comprehensive and broad manner," stated city architect David Zatloukal.

The historical roots of the most significant park in Jeseník and also one of the most important green spaces in the city date back to the early 19th century. Together with the villa district known as Jeseník's West-End, which previously adjoined the park, it formed an opulent counterpoint to the spa, where a rich cultural life unfolded. The current state of the gardens maintains most of the original pathways and promenades. It includes significant springs and monuments, including the famous Priessnitz Spring, as well as a summer theater.

However, the gardens carry a number of deficiencies. "A fundamental problem of the park is its inadequate connection to the city center only through two footbridges. It is cut off by a first-class road, and the entrances mostly lead to non-functional public spaces. The condition of the paths in the park is poor, with dysfunctional furniture in some places and a lack of public lighting in others," described the town's mayor Zdeňka Blišťanová (Jeseník is the heart). The announced competition aims to encourage architectural teams to propose the revitalization of this significant public space. They should also focus on integrating it with the city center and increasing its attractiveness.

The vision to revitalize Smetana Gardens is not new. In 2019, the city commissioned an urban study of the public space. Two years later, a working group was formed, which has now initiated the organization of the architectural competition. The deadline for submitting proposals in the first phase of the competition is set for June 21. A jury of experts in landscape architecture will select five proposals to advance to the second round. The winning proposal will receive 450,000 crowns, and proposals in second and third place will also be awarded. The other participants in the second round will receive a sketch fee.

Other cities and institutions also use architectural competitions to seek transformations of objects or areas. For example, Přerov recently announced a similar competition for the transformation of a large area near the city center, where an unused building of the Strojař hotel stands. In March, the Railway Administration announced an architectural competition for the construction of a modern transport terminal in Hranice.