Karlovo náměstí - announcement of the competitive dialogue

The Institute of Planning and Development of the Capital City of Prague (IPR Praha) has announced a so-called competitive dialogue process for the revitalization of Karlovo náměstí park. This is an interactive collaboration between the city and architects that ensures ongoing agreement among all participants on the proposal's shape.
“The advantage of the competitive dialogue is primarily that all stakeholders are part of the proposal development right from the very beginning. This should prevent disagreements between individual institutions and thus enable the necessary revitalization of the park,” says Jana Plamínková, a councilor of the capital city of Prague.
Architectural teams from abroad can also apply to the competitive dialogue. An expert committee will select five candidates based on their previous work. They will then meet with other stakeholders, including, for example, the Prague 2 Municipal District, the National Heritage Institute, or the General University Hospital. The first workshop, where the assignment will be specified, is estimated to take place in January 2018.
“I am very glad that we managed to announce such an open process for transforming Karlovo náměstí park. A competitive dialogue for a similar project has never been conducted in our country, therefore I believe that the results will also be unique,” explains Ondřej Boháč, the director of IPR Praha. "A respected expert committee, composed of leading Czech architects, foreign landscape architects, historians, and representatives of the city, is for me a guarantee that we will select a partner who will ensure quality implementation for the city," adds Boháč.
Given that the city has long been considering the placement of underground garages beneath part of the square, architects will also address the potential placement of exits and the design of the garages' external appearance. In addition to revitalizing the park, architects will look for opinions on solutions for the adjoining streets. However, the proposals will respect the issued building permits for the first phase, which includes the addition of crossings and bike paths.
The total cost of the park's revitalization is estimated at 150 - 300 million koruna. The process has been prepared long-term in cooperation with the Prague 2 Municipal District, the National Heritage Institute, and the City Hall's Department of Heritage Care. Teams that meet the qualification criteria can submit applications to participate by October 12, 2017, to IPR Praha. The results of the competitive dialogue should be known in the summer of 2018.

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