The winner of the construction of the new hall of the Prague Congress Center is the Spanish office OCA

Prague - The Spanish office OCA has won the international architectural competition for the expansion of the Prague Congress Center (KCP). This was announced to journalists today by Mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO) and representatives of KCP. The construction of the new building could start in about three years and will cost hundreds of millions of crowns. A total of 76 proposals were submitted to the competition, of which six progressed to the second round. All competition proposals will be on display for the public starting Wednesday at KCP.

"KCP has often been criticized in the past for its unappealing appearance. Although it is large and situated in a prestigious location, it did not provide enough exhibition space. The selection process took us a long time, and I must say that it wasn't easy to choose from the 76 proposals. However, I am glad that we agreed on this proposal because it creates a counterpoint to the large mass we are used to," said Krnáčová.

The new building will serve for accompanying exhibitions of individual congresses. It will be located to the south of the existing structure and will have an elongated shape. The main exhibition hall will have a variable interior space that can be adjusted according to the needs of each exhibition.

The winning design addresses not only the new building but also its surroundings. Members of the architectural office indicated that the area around KCP is currently disorganized. Their goal was to improve the public space and connect KCP with its surroundings. They also wanted locals and visitors to feel that the area around the center belongs to them. "The original building lacks contact with its surroundings," one of them said.

According to KCP management and the organizer of the architectural competition Igor Kovačević, the construction of the new hall could begin in two and a half to three years. The center will now start working on the project and obtaining the necessary permits. The costs are estimated by KCP Chairman Radim Haluz to be between 300 and 600 million crowns.

In addition to completing the new hall, the center will also invest in the renovation of the old building. Improvements will be made to the interior, technologies will undergo transformation, and a completely new Wi-Fi network, cables, and data outlets will be implemented at KCP. The center will also devote additional funds to a digital navigation system and invest in security; a better camera system will be installed in the building.

KCP, originally the Palace of Culture, was built from 1976 for five years, among other purposes for congresses of the then-ruling Communist Party. It is reportedly one of the least favorite buildings in Prague, but experts claim that the acoustics of the Congress Hall are among the best in the world.