Young architects will try to harmonize modern buildings with historical ones

Prague - To bring life to the winter stadium area in Prague's Štvanice or to architecturally resolve the surroundings of Brno's Main Train Station, which is a protected monument reserve, young architects from the Czech Republic and abroad will attempt to do so in the Young Architect Award competition. The theme of this year's competition showcase is exploring the ideal form of public space in a historical context. The international competition started today in Prague with an exhibition of successful works from last year.
    The fourth edition of the competition for young architects under 33 aims to connect ambitious architects and conservative heritage protectors. In collaboration with the National Heritage Institute, specific locations in Prague, Brno, Ostrava, and Liberec have been selected. These are currently problematic sites or locations that the residents of these cities perceive sensitively.
    In Ostrava, architects will address the area of the former slaughterhouse, where there is now an undeveloped space partly serving as a parking lot. In Liberec, they will focus on the historic core - Sokolovské Square, which deserves a complete rehabilitation.
    "An integral part of the cultural, architectural, and technical wealth of the country is also industrial heritage, so young architects do not have to focus solely on enhancing the historical cores of cities," stated Petr Lešek, a jury member. The rules allow for proposals concerning the revitalization or conversion of industrial sites to be submitted as well.
    The application deadline will be July 4, and the results will be announced by the expert jury on September 19 at the FOR ARCH construction fair in Prague.
    Last year, young architects focused on the issues of contemporary urbanization. In their projects, they sought to connect public space, urban development, natural elements, and new buildings. Among the 128 projects from architects in 14 countries worldwide, three graduates of Czech universities and one Slovenian architect took the top places in four categories.