Prague may announce an architectural competition for the Industrial Palace

Prague - Today, the councilors of the capital city approved the tender documentation for the architectural competition for the reconstruction of the burned-down Industrial Palace. The competition can thus be announced in the coming weeks. This was stated to reporters by Deputy Mayor Milan Richter (ODS). The competition will also involve the construction of an underpass beneath the palace.
    According to Richter, the main criterion for the architectural design will be the quality of the overall solution, with authenticity of the extension being particularly important. The construction, however, will also have to meet current safety standards and conditions for issuing a building permit.
    Anonymous proposals will be evaluated by a jury, which will include four representatives of the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA) Jan Aulík, Miroslav Cikán, Aleš Lapka, and Milena Vitoušová, as well as three representatives of the city, namely the director of the municipal investor department Jiří Toman, the director of the culture department Jan Kněžínek, and the chairman of the control committee František Hoffmann (KSČM).
    The winner of the competition will receive a financial reward of 600,000 crowns, while the second-place entry will be awarded 400,000 crowns, and the third place will receive 200,000 crowns.
    The city had been talking about announcing the competition since the summer of last year. However, the approval of the tender documentation was delayed due to discussions with the ČKA. After the architectural competition, the city will still need to announce a tender for the construction contractor. Richter now estimates that reconstruction could begin later this year.
    The costs for the restoration of the palace, including the construction of the underpass, have previously been estimated by the city at about 1.5 billion crowns. The reconstruction may be complicated by unresolved disputes between Prague and the tenant of the Exhibition Grounds, the company Incheba. The metropolis is currently seeking to reach an agreement with Incheba to terminate the lease by December 31 of this year. The tenant of the Exhibition Grounds has previously stated that they do not agree with the departure but will wait for Prague to present a proposal for an amendment to the contract.