Community Center Hloubětínská 55 - announcement of the competition

The municipal district of Prague 14 announces a single-round international architectural competition for the community center at Hloubětínská 55.

The subject of the competition is to create a design for a new community center, which will be located in the area of the historical core of Hloubětín, cadastral area of Hloubětín, adjacent to the monument-protected Church of St. George, the gardens of the Hloubětín Castle, and the Křížovnický Court. The community center should create a social hub for the area, provide a space for meetings of both official and unofficial community groups, and facilitate cooperation between the municipal district of Prague 14 and its citizens.

The anticipated costs for the new construction of the community center are estimated at 19 million CZK excluding VAT.

The purpose and mission of the competition is to find and recognize the most suitable and interesting solution to the subject of the competition (i.e., the most suitable competition design) that meets the requirements set by the organizer contained in these competition conditions. The municipal district of Prague 14 will look for a partner among the awarded authors for the realization of the community center and adjacent public spaces.


Independent jury members:
Doc. Ing. arch. Michal Kohout
arch. Anne Catherine Fleith
Ing. arch. Svatopluk Sládeček

Dependent jury members:
Bc. Radek Vondra – mayor of the municipal district
Ing. arch. Milan Veselý – chief architect of the municipal district

Independent jury alternates:
Ing. arch. Juraj Calaj
Ing. arch. Regina Loukotová, PhD.

Dependent jury alternates:
Josef Kutmon – municipal district representative
Mgr. David Kašpar – director of the cultural organization Prague 14

Constitutive meeting of the jury: December 5, 2013
Date of announcement of the design competition: February 10, 2014
Answers to contestants' questions: questions can be submitted until March 3, 2014, to the email address of the competition secretary.
Registration of contestants: until March 17, 2014.
Questions regarding the subject of the competition, answered by the organizer, will be addressed within 4 working days after the deadline for questions. Questions regarding the subject of the competition, answered by the jury, will be addressed within 10 working days after the deadline for questions.
Submission of competition designs: until March 31, 2014, by 14:00 at the municipal office of Prague 14.
In the case of submitting a proposal by mail, the sender is required, in their own interest, to ensure that the proposal is delivered to the address of the organizer by the stipulated deadline of March 31 by 14:00.

Program

The brief for the Community Center
The addressed plot is located directly in the historical core of the municipality, and the design of the new building should fully respect the traditional arrangement of the village structure. In the area of the historical core, maximum height regulations are set, allowing for a maximum of 2 above-ground floors and a gabled roof with the possibility of utilizing the attic.
The community center with year-round operation will primarily serve for local community activities. The community center will include clubrooms that can be used for more intimate community and social programs, meetings of various interest groups, organizing discussions, lectures, exercise classes for mothers with children, etc.
The café, like the community center, will operate year-round, serving visitors of the community center as well as the general public. A smaller space for a children's corner will be associated with the café. The café space can occasionally be used as a co-working center for working mothers and similar activities.
The multipurpose hall with adjacent spaces is an airy area that only operates seasonally (spring-autumn). It is expected to be a non-permanently heated covered space with the possibility of completely or partially closing/opening the façade, as well as its connection to the exterior. The multipurpose hall will serve primarily for informal meetings of citizens, hosting social events (weddings, celebrations, official ceremonies, balls, etc.), and organizing cultural and leisure activities (discussions, exhibitions, workshops, children's stories). It will offer direct connection to the adjacent garden. The design of the multipurpose hall solution should enable short-term heating of the building even in winter. If needed, it should allow for the connection between the hall and the café.
A branch of the municipal library, relocated from the existing location near the Hloubětín metro station, offering basic lending and information services, organizing educational and cultural events and programs targeted at various age and social groups. The library should have a community role – a library as a place for civic and intergenerational meetings.
The entire building must be accessible without barriers. The proposal for the community center also includes the solution for adjacent public spaces – the area in front of the community center at Hloubětínská Street and green spaces – the future gardens of the community center.

The brief for public space modifications/surroundings of the community center
The area in front, to the east of the new community center, will be modified as a public space supplemented with urban furniture. The necessary number of parking spaces for the community center's needs will be proposed at the Křížovnický Court building on the plot no. 2499/18 by reconstructing the existing area (not included in the budget).
The proposal will also include the design for the garden adjacent to the community center grounds. The garden is owned by the Jewish community and is currently leased long-term to the private clinic GynCentrum. The municipal district has agreed with GynCentrum on the lease of the garden for the community center. The garden will serve as a residence and recreational area and will be closely linked to the community center. A condition is the definition of 25 parking spaces for employees around the building on plot 7/3, cadastral area of Hloubětín, and the connection of the parking lot to Hloubětínská Street through the community center's land. This connection will also serve for the supply of GynCentrum and for the maintenance of the garden. Transport areas must not disrupt the residential character of the garden.

More information >