For the public, the Building of the Year in the Liberec Region is the renovation of the Česká Lípa theater

Česká Lípa – The renovation of Jirásek Theatre in Česká Lípa has won public approval in the jubilee 20th year of the Building of the Year competition in the Liberec region. People were able to vote for their favorite until the end of April; the theatre received nearly a quarter of the 3642 votes, as reported by ČTK on the website stavbaroku.lk. The winner of the expert jury will be revealed at the festive announcement of the results on May 14, said the region's spokesperson Jan Mikulička to ČTK today. Since 2019, the competition has been named after the author of the hotel and transmitter Ještěd, architect Karel Hubáček, whose birth in February marked one hundred years ago.

The renovation of Jirásek Theatre in Česká Lípa cost the city 197 million crowns and took three years. The oldest parts of the large building date back to the mid-14th century; today, the theatre is equipped to host all types of performances, from ballet to drama to opera. Even after the renovation, many original features have remained in the building. According to architect Adam Rujbr, who was the author of the project, the aim was to preserve as much of the original structure as possible. "We used the original chandelier in the main hall, the original light fixtures, the original beams, we utilized the original stair steps and the foundation stones," Rujbr said.

A total of 26 buildings competed for the title of Building of the Year in the Liberec region, four more than last year, along with ten student projects, which the jury evaluated two more than the previous year. "Among the candidates for the award was also the new center for nuclear medicine located within the premises of the Liberec Regional Hospital," added Mikulička. The Liberec region also submitted a new parking garage near its headquarters, including the revitalization of the surroundings, and new homes for the disabled in Nová Ves near Chrastava; the regional city submitted new buildings with social apartments on Žižkov.

"The purpose of the competition is to highlight successful or interesting buildings and skilled students, designers, architects, and talents in the fields of construction, architecture, and trades from all over the Liberec region," said regional councilor for development Jiří Ulvr (Mayors for the Liberec Region). Last year, the jury assessed 22 buildings and 12 student projects. The reconstruction of the Liebieg Palace in Liberec, which created a community center, caught experts' attention the most, while the public favored the renovation of the former factory into the Automoto Museum in Lučany nad Nisou last year.

The competition for the Building of the Year in the Liberec region has a tradition since 2004. In the last four years, the main award has been won by projects that resulted from the revitalization of brownfields. In 2020, the new headquarters of the glass company Lasvit in Nový Bor was the winner, which the jury praised for the interesting combination of two historic buildings from the end of the 18th century with modern extensions. The following year, the Liberec roastery with the DOK Nordbeans café won, which revitalized a part of the neglected train station warehouse. The year before last, the jury acknowledged the community center IGI in Vratislavice, which was created through the reconstruction and extension of a former rectory.