Komenského Bridge in Jaroměř – competition results

Single-stage public architectural design competition
The subject of the competition was the preparation of an architectural and structural design for the restoration of the Komenský Bridge in Jaroměř, which was destroyed by flooding. The organizer required that the architectural solution of the riverbank pillars be preserved and that any support in the riverbed be excluded. The bridge will be used for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Organizer: City of Jaroměř
Competition Secretary: Bc. Jana Hrubá, nám. Československé armády 16, 551 33 Jaroměř
Author of competition conditions and reviewer of competition designs: Ing. arch. Radek Jiránek, Jiráskova 86, 551 33 Jičín – Holínské Předměstí
Competition duration: 30. 8. – 29. 10. 2013
Jury: Jan Šépka, Patrik Kotas, Antonín Novák, Jiří Klepsa, Martin Hofman; alternates: Václav Podlipný, František Vrabec
Total number of submitted designs: 55
Total prizes and rewards: 270,000 CZK

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1st prize: baum & baroš ARCHITECTS, Excon a. s.
Jury evaluation: The proposed bridge reflects the value of the environment by minimizing the mass of its construction located under the deck. At the same time, this construction remains adequately original and distinctive. The delicate geometry of the arch of the deck is projected into the other structural parts, and the design maintains conceptual unity throughout its components. The main assets of the design include a free sight axis above the deck and an original, clearly legible structure with interesting anthropological associations: spine, spinal cord, vertebrae. The connection to the existing pillars is addressed with sufficient sensitivity concerning the main load-bearing element – the spine tube; however, the placement of the entire structure will undoubtedly require further development. The economics of construction and operation must be thoroughly reviewed in the next design stage, and any implementation should be carried out very carefully. Partial replacement of the grids with a material more suitable for use on the bridge is worth considering, as is the expansion of the traffic profile of the deck.

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2nd prize: Marek Blank, Petr Tej, Alena Tejová, Vít Havlíček, Milan Petřík
Jury evaluation: The simple square grid of the longitudinal beams of the bridge benefits from the aesthetics of artistic minimalism, without conflicting with the rich historical environment of the city. The sight axes remain practically untouched, and the proposed striking but sober form can be perceived as a reference to the structural form of the original bridge. The connection to the preserved pillars is collision-free, and the one-level deck is favorable for future use. The economics of the bridge's construction and operation do not deviate from the standards typical for this type of investment. Detailed structural and material solutions for the side walls deserve further development, and consideration should be given to replacing the wooden deck with a more durable material.

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3rd prize: František Denk, Zuzana Hanušková, Radim Pavlík, Jaroslav Kosek, Ondřej Paulát
Jury evaluation: The asymmetrical steel structure of the transverse ribs of the beam connected by a cable in the arch under the deck is the main feature of the design. The chosen structure is elegant and imaginative, allowing for a free view above the deck, which is also shaped into a gentle arch. The connection to the existing pillar of the original bridge is also collision-free. The whole respects the locality of the place, without abandoning the effort to design a contemporary bridge structure. The segregation of pedestrians and cyclists is debatable, and the solution for the railing is unconvincing as it does not correspond with the geometry of the bridge. The economics of construction and operation would need to be verified in further phases of the project documentation, and the overall impression of the bridge would greatly depend on the careful execution of the detail design.

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Reward (8,000 CZK): Michal Palaščák, agparchitekti, Link Projekt s. r. o.
Jury evaluation: The quality of the design lies in the minimization of the mass of the bridge with a horizontal deck that has no distracting structural elements above its level. This solution sensitively allows for a free view above the bridge and thus reflects the value of the historical environment of the city. The reflecting area of the inclined walls of the longitudinal beam instead embodies the natural qualities of the place. This certainly effective element, however, lacks justification due to low traffic on the roads beneath the bridge, but it can be perceived to some extent as a contextual effort to dematerialize the volume of the bridge. The connection to the existing pillars is adequately managed according to the solution provided. The economics of building and maintaining the bridge is conceivable within usual ranges. The effect of the reflecting surfaces would greatly depend on a thoughtful material and structural solution and careful execution.

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Reward (8,000 CZK): Michal Širmer
Jury evaluation: Access to the quays on both banks directly from the bridge is the main motif-thought of the design. This fundamental idea is very consistently and consistently present in all other aspects of the design, in its structural, material, and volumetric solutions. The high conceptual and architectural quality of the design is also evidenced by the original motif of retractable steel cubes that, when retracted, meet the requirement to maintain the level set by the basin. Despite its uncompromising nature, the design is not inappropriate or urbanly unsuitable in the given environment, as evidenced by the sensitive connection to the existing pillars. The conceptual compactness and originality of the design is entirely exceptional. The economics of construction and operation is at a standard level for implementations of a similar nature.

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Reward (8,000 CZK): Lutz Schöne, Jiří Vraj mj., Zdeněk Chmel, Miroslav Malý, Petr Malý
Jury evaluation: The very elegant raised bridge arch is the defining feature-asset of the design, which is convincing in its form and construction. Although the proposed form is attractive and noble, in the given environment, it becomes more of an archetypal reference to bridges of different purposes and in a different environment. In the context of the city of Jaroměř, it is unfortunately poorly conceivable and justifiable for urban (covering the bulk of the school in the approach from the square) and operational reasons. The raised profile of passage under the bridge is unjustified, leading to an inappropriate overcoming of the height level on the deck. The connection to the existing pillars is addressed sensitively. The economics of construction and operation of the bridge does not deviate from the usual relations for this type of building.

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Special reward (6,000 CZK): Petr Janda
Jury evaluation: The visually very striking proposal captivates with its unusual mass, and is not merely an unjustified exhibition. The original dynamic form is justified by the reference to the historical and now non-existent pillar, which thus, in its imaginary form, becomes a space-forming element of the design. The authors thus reflect not only the existing conditions of the place but also its historical layer. The utilitarian function of the bridge is elevated here to a carrier of richer associations - historical and topographical. However, this feature cannot be justified for the given assignment, as the event of the bridge pillar's collapse is not significant enough to be elevated to the main conceptual motif. The connection to the existing pillars is sufficiently sensitively managed. The economics of construction and maintenance of the bridge would undoubtedly be higher than is usual for buildings of a similar nature.
 

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