The best structure in the Liberec Region is Maškova Garden in Turnov

BFB studio: Maškova zahrada

Liberec - The sports and recreation area Maškova zahrada in Turnov has become the winner of the 12th annual competition for the Building of the Year in the Liberec Region. The jury was impressed by its architectural, urbanistic, and layout aspects. This was stated today by regional councilor and jury chairman Vít Příkaský (ČSSD).

"All of this is very purposefully combined and interconnected. Even the environment, a bit away from the center and set in a natural setting, probably won over all the jurors," Příkaský mentioned.

Turnov's mayor Tomáš Hocke (Independent Block) sees the award as a sign that they are on the right path. "We are trying to make public buildings more interesting and not monotonous," the mayor stated. Last year, Turnov was successful in this competition as well, with the conversion of a Waldorf kindergarten winning one of the categories.

The architecture of the sports and recreation area also recalls its previous use when the garden served as a storage collection of tree species for the Sychrov Castle. The area, which has a large proportion of wood, is an example of organic architecture; for instance, the ice rink is shaped like a leaf.

The establishment of the area cost the city over 180 million crowns. The construction was planned by the city hall 15 years ago, but realization only began at the turn of 2014 and 2015. The first covered ice stadium was completed last autumn. Approximately 100,000 people used it in the first season. Since this spring, the outdoor swimming pool with water attractions, a slide, and other slides has been opened. The planned capacity was 1,000 visitors, but interest was much higher on some days. The record is 3,200 people in one day. "We are finding that the capacity could be larger; that is not the problem. The problem is for the accompanying services to keep up, so I expect that we will strengthen the facilities and catering for the next season," the mayor stated. The area also features a popular skate park, as well as in-line trails and children's and sports playgrounds.

Other buildings were also honored in the regional competition. A reconstructed castle in Svijany, in the Liberec area, succeeded. The dilapidated monument was purchased three years ago by a nearby brewery, which has already invested 60 million crowns into its restoration, with the help of so-called Norwegian funds. The reconstruction of the road from Bedřichov to Hrabětice, one of the main communications in the Jizera Mountains, garnered the most votes from the public. The reconstruction of the granaries at the Zámecký dvůr in Černousích, Liberec Region, received an award for its innovative and non-standard approach in construction. The courtyard has been under reconstruction since 2010. The granaries, which were completed last year, are octagonal buildings with a diameter of approximately 20 meters. Their height corresponds to a two-story space. According to conservationists, these structures are completely unique in the Czech environment.