Liberec has launched an architectural competition for the design of Paper Square

Liberec – Today, Liberec has launched an international architectural competition for the appearance of the area known as the Paper Square in the lower city center. The city hall approached 65 studios, and the winning design should be announced in September. This was reported today in a press release by Mayor Jaroslav Zámečník.

"It has been 20 long years since Liberec held a competition of such complexity, right for one of the most interesting and at the same time challenging tasks in the city - the transformation of the so-called Papírák. Although several generations of architects have focused on this area in the past, it is still searching for its future form," said Zámečník.

This location is among the most neglected places in the center of the hundred-thousand city, though some buildings have been renovated here in recent years. "It is a district that has become a place of despair for parts of the city's population, while others see it as a space closely connected with the valuable history of Liberec, or as an open space with enormous potential. To me, it is primarily an opportunity to resolve the future appearance of this area," said Jiří Janďourek, head of the city's architecture office. According to him, the development of this part of the city should be directed by the city hall towards a culturally creative district that should be carbon neutral. "It will not be easy, because this place conceals many uncertainties and unspoken questions. Therefore, my fellow architects face a great challenge, however, I am convinced that we will receive a number of excellent proposals," Janďourek added.

There are about 20 different owners of land in this area, with the city owning the most. It owns approximately 10,000 square meters. Based on the competition results, a land study of this area and an architectural-landscape design of the city terraces that border the area known as the Paper Square will be created. The city hall estimates that the costs necessary for the improvement of the city terraces will amount to 30 million crowns.