Löschner Square in Kadaň won an award in the Construction of the Year competition

Petr Uhlík, Přemysl Jurák, Štěpán Špoula, modifications of Löschner Square in Kadaň

Kadaň (Chomutov Region) - The recently completed revitalization of Löschner Square in Kadaň received the Ministry of Regional Development Prize and the Association for Urbanism and Spatial Planning for public spaces in the Building of the Year 2015 competition. The jury particularly appreciated the sensitively chosen modifications, the liberation of the area from traffic, and the high quality of execution, including the materials used. This was announced today at a press conference by the mayor of Kadaň, Jiří Kulhánek (ODS).
"We didn’t expect to receive any award, but surprisingly it happened - it was a nice surprise. The design of the space was created by architect Petr Uhlík, who has previously worked on projects in Kadaň, including the design of the Maxipes Fík waterfront," said Kulhánek. He added that the city continues to collaborate with this architect. They are currently having him develop a study for revitalizing the city walls.
Through the revitalization of Löschner Square, the city aimed to attract more people to the area around St. Anne's Church. The transformation of the public space, where a gas station originally stood, cost 13 million crowns. The site now features a seating area and a bathtub-shaped fountain. This fountain pays tribute to the founder of the spa industry, native Kadaň resident Josef Löschner, after whom the square is named. The city completed the construction in April of this year.
In the past, Kadaň has succeeded in the Building of the Year competition twice. In 2004, the jury praised Kadaň for its sensitive approach to the reconstruction of the Franciscan monastery. In 2010, it won the main prize for the Vít Branda footbridge, which connects to the Maxipes Fík waterfront and winds around a rocky promontory above the Ohře River. The footbridge was also nominated for the European Building of the Year competition.