Parking garage, footbridge, and landscaping of the Liberec Region headquarters - competition results

The subject of the competition “Parking House, Footbridge and Cultivation of the Surrounding Area of the Liberec Region Headquarters” is the preparation of an architectural-landscape proposal for the adjustments of public space around the seat of the Liberec Region Office (KÚLK).
It is expected to involve the county's seat in the city's structure, cultivate the surroundings of the county's seat with an emphasis on high-quality landscaping solutions for public spaces with a sufficient amount of greenery, design a footbridge, and incorporate the flow of the Lužická Nisa River, organizing all types of transport, including parking solutions at street level and in the parking house.

Competition dates: April 20, 2017 - September 11, 2017
Announcement of results date: October 16, 2017
Number of submitted proposals: 10
Total prizes and rewards: 740,000 CZK

Organizer: Liberec Region
Competition Secretary: Ing. Markéta Kohoutová
Chairman of the Jury: Ing. Tomáš Hradečný

Regular Jury Members - Dependent
Martin Půta, Governor of the Liberec Region
Ing. Květa Vinklátová, Member of the Regional Council, Department of Culture, Heritage Care, and Tourism
Ing. Tomáš Hocke, Representative of the Statutory City of Liberec

Regular Jury Members - Independent
Ing. Tomáš Hradečný
Prof. Ing. arch. Akad. arch. Jiří Suchomel
Ing. Martina Forejtová
Ing. arch. Filip Horatschke

Alternate Jury Members - Dependent
Marek Pieter, Deputy Governor, Department of Transport, Investment, and Public Procurement, Liberec Region
Ing. Jitka Volfová, Statutory Deputy Governor, Department of Economy, Property Management, and Informatics, Liberec Region
Ing. Radka Loučková Kotasová, Member of the Regional Council, Department of Economic and Regional Development, European Projects, and Urban Planning

Alternate Jury Members - Independent
Ing. arch. MgA. Marek Přikryl
Ing. arch. Pavel Buryška

Invited Experts:
Expert of the Elbe Basin: Bohumil Grafneter
The decision about possible additional expert invitations will be made by the jury after discussion with the competition organizer.

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1st prize - 350,000 CZK
Author: re:architekti studio s.r.o., Ing. arch. Michal Kuzemenský, Ing. arch. David Pavlišta, MgA. Ondřej Synek, Ing. arch. Jan Vlach, Ing. arch. Jiří Žid
Collaboration: Ing. arch. Kateřina Gloserová, Ing. arch. Dušan Sabol, Projektová kancelář Vaner s.r.o., Ing. Marie Gelová
Jury's assessment: The proposal is appropriate both in terms of mass and the degree of intervention in the area. The urban structure confirms the solitary position of existing buildings, which it rightly complements. The mutual proportion of green and paved areas is chosen sensitively. The design of the parking house is shape-wise, structurally, and operationally simple, so it does not necessitate the use of economically demanding technologies. The ground plan orientation of the parking house positively influences the spatial relationships between individual buildings while suitably adjusting the connection to the city center. The jury positively evaluated the generous solution of the forecourt of the KÚLK headquarters, emphasizing the proximity of seating areas to the river, which are characteristic of the design. Thanks to the newly proposed seating staircase descending to the river, Liberec gains a new type of public space that heralds a rich palette of usage. The significance of the river is excellently understood in the material solution, where the stone material of the riverbed flows into retaining walls and communication ramps and sidewalks. The unifying element is also the railing detail derived from local patterns. A positive aspect is also the predominant recreational concept of greenery in the southern tip of the addressed area, including a playground. The design develops the quality of greenery and significantly enhances it by incorporating new mature trees that maintain spatial clarity.

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2nd prize - 240,000 CZK
Author: SIAL architects and engineers spol. s r.o., Ing. arch. Magda Sobotková, Ing. arch. Michal Hušek
Jury's assessment: The urban concept of the proposal respects the existing qualities of the buildings characterized by solitary placement. The communication network supporting the connection to the city center and safely separating vehicular traffic is perceived very positively. The strengthening of greenery is at an appropriate level and maintains a sufficient dimension of paved areas guaranteeing a representative concept for entrances. The parking house is designed both operationally and structurally cleanly, appropriately also from an economic perspective. Individual subspaces of the addressed area utilize contemporary formal language with quality material composition. A positive element of the design is the space of the new piazzetta enclosed by three buildings with a free transition towards the park. The jury also positively assessed the placement of new footbridges that accentuate not only the entrance to the KÚLK headquarters but also the new European House.

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Prize - 50,000 CZK
Author: MS plan s.r.o., Ing. arch. Luca Preziosa, Ing. arch. David Guisado Tarancon, Bc. Jakub Bilan, Ing. Martin Studnička, David Hladík, Ing. arch. Michal Šourek, akad. arch. Pavel Hřebecký
Jury's assessment: The jury positively assesses the effort to distribute parking capacities into two parking house structures, allowing for a more variable traffic service to the area from two routes while also reducing the volume of the building at the European House. A drawback of the solution is the conception of the public space in front of the parking and European House. The proposed bridging is considered insensitive. The effort for barrier-free access to the main building is perceived positively; however, the downside of this solution is the unfriendly environment under the bridge structures and complicated access for pedestrians from the city center. The river is not integrated into the public space in the design. The inhospitable area with parking in front of the European House does not invite to stay and lacks quality.

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Prize - 50,000 CZK
Author: CMC architects a.s., Dipl. Arch. David R. Chisholm, Dipl. arch. Adriano Ferrer Escayola, akad. arch. Vít Máslo
Jury's assessment: The jury appreciated the comprehensive work with context and the clear compositional arrangement of the space through the parking house structure. Overall, it is a cultivated proposal that brings diversity in functional use - for example, the placement of playgrounds on the roof of the parking house. The park adjustment corresponds to contemporary trends in public space solutions. The effort to make the river accessible through the creation of a riverbank is also perceived positively. However, the proposed riverbed narrowing may bring complications during periods of increased water levels. The jury also appreciates the attention to detail - e.g., surface alternation, pavement work. The placement of the new parking house structure prolongs the cramped space between the European House and the office and does not bring new quality. The building of the parking house is oversized, with an inefficient arrangement of parking spaces and service traffic. Although an open urban space was created, a large parking area was placed at the focal point in front of the European House. The parking area is prioritized over the area of the ground floor, even in the southern part.

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Prize - 50,000 CZK
Author: Ing. Ondřej Remeš
Jury's assessment: The jury positively assesses the clarity of the solution - the proposal, as the only one among the submitted works, betting on the concept of an urban park, becoming the dominant use of space. The placement of the parking house does not compete with the existing European House and simultaneously defines the park area by linking to the government building. The park does not create a suitable urban space in the context of the site and does not facilitate active urban life. The overall shaping of elements in the space appears formal. Although it is a purely natural solution, the river is not sufficiently involved. The proportion of paved areas in the forecourt is not adequate to the significance of the institutions located in the area.

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