The Building of the Year in the Liberec Region is a private villa in Vesec

Liberec - The Building of the Year for the Liberec Region 2012 is a private villa in the Liberec district of Vesec, built by Asano based on the designs of architects Jiří Janďourek and Jana Medlíková. The modern structure received the award from architect Karel Hubáček and is the first private house to succeed in the regional competition. The multifunctional center Sever in Cvikov, created by renovating an old Art Nouveau hotel, was the most popular among the public. This information was provided today by Jiří Langer, spokesman for the regional office.
      The awarded villa by the quarry is partly a single-story and partly a two-story building with sloping roofs, architecturally connected to an attached garage. It stands on a triangular plot above the former quarry. The jury praised its sensitive integration into the garden and the neighborhood. While the house appears as a dignified two-story villa compatible in scale with other houses towards the street, it opens up to the garden as a modest dwelling appropriate to the natural environment – low with a slanted roof. "The jury also appreciated the restrained material solution and the fact that the house is energy-efficient," noted Langer. The villa cost the private investor 6.5 million crowns.
      In second place in the main competition was the reconstruction of T.G. Masaryk Square in Frýdlant, and the third place was awarded to the new kindergarten at the Jablonec hospital. The Štěpán Ješ Award was received by the town of Chrastava for a set of lifting footbridges designed by the company Vaner. The footbridges stand where bridges were washed away by floods two years ago. The new ones are equipped with a crest mechanism that allows them to be raised in case of high water, thereby increasing the flow in the river. As part of the competition, the Junior Award is also traditionally awarded. This year, it was given to Jan Šebek from the Czech Technical University in Prague for the revitalization of a former brewery in Hrubá Skála into a wellness center.
      "In public voting, the new multifunctional center Sever won, which was created by revitalizing a former Art Nouveau hotel," said Langer. The dilapidated building was saved from demolition by the Cvikov municipality. The former hotel, built around 1890, was acquired by the municipality from the liquidator of a private company for 1.379 million crowns, with an additional 62 million needed for its rescue. The revitalization of the building was largely funded by the European Union. Today, it serves as a cultural center with a social hall, gallery, and information center, and has also become a base for local associations. People especially appreciated the sensitivity with which the building was reconstructed. The builders preserved the original character of the Art Nouveau building, including its richly decorated facade.