Brno - In the first round of the international two-round urban competition for the design of the Brno South Center, 57 applicants submitted their proposals. This was announced today by deputy mayor Martin Ander (SZ). In the competition, which the city announced in September, teams of architects addressed the layout of the area following the reconstruction of the railway junction with the station in the center in the area known as Malá Amerika. Until now, a proposal for the layout existed only for the case of a relocated station.
The expert jury will meet on January 15 and 16 and will select eight proposals for the second round. Their authors will have until April 15 to refine their designs. "We cannot say who submitted the proposal now, as the competition is anonymous. We will publish the results on May 10," said Ander. To maintain anonymity, the eight advancing entrants will have the option to communicate with the jury through a law office and thus supplement their proposals. "The commission will meet again on April 22 and 23 to select the winning proposal," said Igor Kovačevič from MOBA Studio, which is organizing the competition.
The city announced the competition to have a basis for potential future decision-making on how to manage the area, which is currently partly a brownfield. "We want it to develop into a lively compact city. Its foundation must be housing and related services, whether they are cafes, shops, kindergartens, or quality public spaces and places for sports," stated Ander. (SZ). The city will award the three best proposals. The first place is allocated 1.8 million crowns, the second 1.2 million, and the third 750,000 crowns. All 57 proposals will be available for public viewing after the results are announced.
Urban planning solutions for the South Center regarding both the relocated station and the station in the center are important not only for investors but also for citizens who will decide in a referendum next autumn where they want the station.
The question of its modernization has been addressed in Brno for almost 100 years. Which location option is more suitable will be indicated by a study from the Railway Administration. It will be completed next year. The Alliance for the 2016 Referendum, which initiated the plebiscite and aims to keep the station in the city center, has already launched a campaign to provide information to the public and persuade them to vote.