Nábřeží Loučné in Litomyšl - results of the architectural competition

Prague, Litomyšl – The Architectural Competition Prize of the Proměny Foundation 2013, focused on the proposal for the revitalization of the Loučná River waterfront in Litomyšl, has found a winner. The jury awarded the first prize to the design by Ing. arch. MgA. Martin Rusina and Ing. arch. Martin Frei. The architectural competition is part of an extensive project that has been underway in Litomyšl since last year, thanks to the support of the Proměny Foundation. The revitalization of the waterfront according to the selected design is expected to be completed by the end of 2015 at the earliest.

The public, two-round architectural competition Prize of the Proměny Foundation 2013 took place from February 20 to August 27. A total of 31 proposals were submitted in the first round, and the jury selected five to proceed to the second round in May. The final evaluation meeting of the jury took place on August 20 in Litomyšl.

The winning proposal by architects Rusina and Frei addresses the transformation in Litomyšl by delineating four distinct urban spaces and connecting them into a cohesive whole. The various advantages of the waterfront itself, the banks of the Loučná, the city park by the Smetana House, and Vodní valy street complement each other. The proposal was appreciated by the jury for its conceptual clarity, reflecting the place and the requirements for its future use in a simple concept. It clearly and modestly separates urban areas from natural ones, which are left to develop. A promenade is created along the waterfront under trees for relaxation, gatherings, and play, featuring a sculpturally designed musical playground. The natural character of the riverbanks is preserved and made accessible at selected locations with light observation points and paths. The focus of the park is shifted to a meadow above the river, and a garden restaurant with a pavilion is restored.

The five-member jury, composed of independent experts and representatives of the City of Litomyšl and the Proměny Foundation, decided on the overall distribution of prizes as follows:
1st prize (100,000 CZK) / Ing. arch. MgA. Martin Rusina, Ing. arch. Martin Frei
2nd place (60,000 CZK) / CUBOID ARCHITEKTI s.r.o.
3rd place (40,000 CZK) / Ing. arch. Jana Kaštánková
The architectural competition, including prizes and awards for participants in the second round, is part of the support provided by the foundation within the grant program Parks.

All competition proposals will be exhibited from October 5 to 31 at the Castle Brewery in Litomyšl. On Saturday, October 5, starting at 4 PM, there will be an opening of the exhibition with the participation of the awarded studios. The event is also part of Architecture Day. A guided walk through Litomyšl is planned from 11 AM, accompanied by city architect Ing. arch. Zdeňka Vydrová. One of the stops will also focus on the Loučná waterfront. Further in the autumn, a presentation of the winning proposal to the public is planned, where people will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the proposal and express their comments.

In preparing and organizing the competition in Litomyšl, the foundation, as the organizer, closely collaborated with representatives of the city. The competition materials included, among other things, professionally processed outputs from a sociological survey conducted by the foundation, which mapped the needs and desires of the city's residents in the past year. Architects had to work with these in their proposals as well. The jury and the participating studios positively evaluated the high level of competition materials and the overall organization of the competition.

The project plan for Litomyšl's revitalization of the Loučná waterfront carries the subtitle "dialogue between the river and the city." It succeeded in the grant challenge of the Proměny Foundation in 2011. The foundation provides a grant of up to 25 million CZK for its implementation, as well as professional and consulting support throughout the entire project. An integral part of it includes activities involving the local public in the transformation.

The Prize of the Proměny Foundation 2013 associated with Litomyšl is already the fourth edition of the architectural competition organized by the foundation. In July of this year, the revitalization of the Santos River Island in Sušice was successfully completed, and the reconstruction of Jiráskovy sady in Litoměřice is expected to begin by the end of the year. Both of these projects also included an architectural competition implemented thanks to the support of the foundation.