The Nature House of the Jeseníky Mountains in Karlova Studánka is to be created according to architects from Brno

Karlova Studánka - The planned Nature House of Jeseníky, which aims to bring visitors closer to the beauty and attractions of the Jeseníky Mountains in Karlova Studánka in Bruntál, could be created based on a design by the Brno architectural studio P. P. Architects. This company won the announced architectural competition, which attracted about thirty proposals. The Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic is waiting to see if it will receive a grant from the Swiss funds for the project, which is estimated to cost around 125 million CZK. The agency's spokesperson, Karolína Šůlová, said this to ČTK today.

"We do not yet know when construction will start. Everything depends on whether we obtain the financial resources. We should have clarity around the turn of October and November," she stated.

The architects submitted 31 proposals to the competition, and the jury selected from the entries of studios from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, and Hungary. They had to deal with a number of restrictions. The design must comply with the urban plan of Karlova Studánka, its heritage protection, and must meet the unifying elements defined in the agency's visitor center design manual. "Among the submitted proposals, the jury was most impressed by the project developed by P.P. Architects, which allows for natural permeability and harmonious connection with the surrounding environment, creating a very balanced design that sensitively reacts to the specifics of the location, thus distinguishing itself from the others," she added.

She also stated that currently, unsuccessful authors have a period of 15 days for any appeals, after which a contract will be signed with the winner. All proposed designs will be available for public viewing at an exhibition planned for spring in Karlova Studánka.

The investor of the Nature House of Jeseníky will be the agency, and the operator will be the state-owned company Horské lázně Karlova Studánka. The Nature House will be built on state land, with the site selected in agreement with the municipality, the spa, and non-profit organizations. The upcoming Nature House will offer interactive exhibitions, eco-educational programs, thematic lectures, exhibitions, screenings, and creative workshops. The program will be aimed at mountain visitors and schools.

"We have designed the Nature House program based on a model that works elsewhere in the world. Nature Houses guide visitors in the area, provide them with basic information and facilities. We want to introduce visitors to areas of various characters to show how diverse our nature and landscape are. We would like them to take away knowledge on what to do to keep it that way in the future," said AOPK Director František Pelc earlier.

In the Czech Republic, there are 14 visitor centers and eight smaller information centers operating in 20 protected landscape areas, national nature reserves, or national natural monuments.