This year's Grand Prix of Architects was awarded to the National Technical Library

Prague - The absolute winner of this year's Grand Prix of Architects is the National Technical Library (NTK) in Prague's Dejvice. The expert jury appreciated the clarity of its concept, economy and simplicity of expression, and elegant solutions. In the 17th edition of this prestigious competition, the judges selected from a total of 71 submitted projects, with the results revealed at today’s ceremonial evening at the Veletržní Palace.
    The NTK project won an architectural competition in 2000. Its authors Roman Brychta, Adam Halíř, Ondřej Hofmeister, and Petr Lešek lamented today in front of the present Minister of Culture Václav Riedlbauch during the award ceremony that there are no architectural competitions announced for other buildings that also have the word "national" in their name.
    The Grand Prix of Architects - National Award for Architecture is a showcase of contemporary architectural works organized by the Czech Chamber of Architects and the Society of Architects. The competition is open to both Czech and foreign architects, designers, and artists. The condition is that their work was completed in the past year, and that it is located on the territory of the Czech Republic.
    "When a person moves through the whole building, they actually move according to a well-thought-out script," said jury member Jiří Klokočka about the winning NTK. He added that the visitor experiences new surprises at almost every step.
    The projects submitted to the Grand Prix competed in a total of seven categories, but the jury ultimately awarded only three additional prizes alongside the main award. In the most crowded category of New Buildings, the residential complex Central Park Prague by studio A69 - Architects won. In the category of Reconstruction, the award was given to the reconstruction and completion of the printing house complex in Vysočany, authored by Martina Buřičová and Štěpán Kubíček. The prize in the category of Landscape Architecture and Garden Design, where the new seal exhibit at Prague Zoo also competed, was awarded to Vít Branda for the suspended bicycle bridge in Kadaň.
    The jury also awarded several honorable mentions to the new bus station in Příbram, family house in Kuřim, the interior of the West Bohemian Gallery in Plzeň, the interior of a sports shoe store in Prague's Konviktská Street, and the Akátová věž lookout tower on Mount Výhon near Židlochovice. No award or honorable mention was given in the Urbanism category, which had only two projects submitted.
    In addition to the authors of the NTK project, the loudest applause from the filled hall went to the emeritus professor of the Czech Technical University Věkoslav Pardyl, who received the prize from the Society of Architects for his lifetime achievement. "I still have 13 years left, and then I will retire," announced the eighty-seven-year-old architect to the applauding audience.
    All the projects submitted to the competition can be seen at an exhibition accessible at the Veletržní Palace until the end of August. Afterwards, the exhibition will travel to Czech cities and subsequently abroad.