Krnov wants a municipal spa, an architectural competition will help shape its design

Krnov – The Council of the town of Krnov in the Bruntál region has approved the announcement of an international architectural competition for the design of new municipal baths in the swimming pool area. Contestants can submit their designs anonymously until October 8, and the selected five will then be able to refine them until February 4 of the following year. The task for the interested parties is to propose the design of new municipal baths on plots in the northern part of the town next to the summer swimming pool. This was announced today to journalists by the town hall spokesperson Dita Círová.

"By connecting the outdoor swimming pool with the new municipal baths, a sports and relaxation center will be created, linking to the town's sports infrastructure along Petrovická Street. The new municipal baths will include a swimming pool, relaxation pool, sauna world, fitness, and additional services," said Círová. The design should also address parking and traffic connections to the area. The town expects that the construction of the baths should cost approximately 380 million crowns excluding VAT.

"The biggest challenge will undoubtedly be managing the costs. It is not just about the construction. We require solutions from the contestants that will allow us to organize future operations in a way that is economically acceptable to us," said the mayor and vice-chairman of the jury Tomáš Hradil (Krnov Patriots).

The submitted designs will be evaluated not only by representatives of the town but also by a professional jury. The chairman of the jury is Roman Brychta, an architect and lecturer at the AAAD (Academy of Art, Architecture, and Design) in Prague. "Krnov is becoming an increasingly significant place on the architectural map of the Czech Republic. We have completed two major architectural competitions, and now we are launching the third. It would be difficult to find a more desirable building in Krnov than the new municipal baths. The residents of the town want a new pool. This topic has been discussed for many years as a priority also at the Healthy City Forum, where citizens themselves define what issues the political representation should address," the mayor added.

The announcement of the results of the architectural competition is scheduled for March 2022. A contract for complete architectural services, including copyright supervision, will be signed with the winner. The three best designs will be awarded. The first place will receive a reward of one million crowns, the second 750,000 crowns, and the third 500,000 crowns. Participants who submit designs in the second phase of the competition and do not win any prize will receive a reward of 250,000 crowns for each design.