Semily chose the form of the kindergarten from 70 architectural designs

Semily - Semily received 70 proposals for the design of a new kindergarten. The new building is intended to replace the outdated kindergarten Pod Vartou, which was constructed as a temporary structure in the 1980s. The expert committee has already selected the winning proposal, which will be presented to the public on January 18 of next year. After processing the project documentation, the city will apply for a grant for construction, Renata Coufalová from the Semily City Office informed ČTK today.

Approximately 200 architectural firms expressed interest in the competition, with about a third submitting proposals. "Such interest in the competition among architects was unexpected for us, and we are pleased about it," stated the city's architect Martin Hilpert.

According to him, the competition yielded a wealth of quality proposals that differed not only in overall architectural concept but also in the colors used, materials, and the layout solutions. All proposals will be presented to the public during the announcement of results, and will then be displayed in the new city hall building for a month. In designing the kindergarten and its garden, architects had to consider that two independently operated kindergartens would be located on the premises - the Pod Vartou Kindergarten and the Waldorf Kindergarten Semily, each with two classes.

This is not the first time the city has considered building a new kindergarten at Pod Vartou; the project was already prepared in 2009. At that time, the city wanted to finance the construction from so-called Norwegian funds, but in the end, it did not materialize. This time, the city intends to build the kindergarten utilizing European subsidies. It plans to apply for them in the fall of next year. The current building was constructed as a temporary structure, but with minimal modifications, it still functions. "The existing buildings have not provided a suitable and inspiring environment for many years. From a layout perspective, they do not allow for the application of modern teaching methods, and from a construction standpoint, they are outdated in every respect and very inefficient in operation," Hilpert previously described the state of the building.