The buildings of the year 2022 are a suspension bridge, a hotel, a footbridge, and successful renovations

Prague – The suspended bridge in Dolní Morava, the reconstruction of the Clam-Gallas Palace, and the footbridge over the Elbe in Nymburk are among the top ten Buildings of the Year 2022. The award in the form of a crystal stamp goes five times to Prague, with the same number of awards given to new constructions. The foreign Building of the Year was awarded to the modifications of Bratislava Castle. The results of the 30th edition were announced today by the organizing Foundation for the Development of Architecture and Construction at the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague.

Among the ten awardees are the reconstruction of the Army Museum in Žižkov, the new Stages Hotel Prague near the O2 Arena, the construction of the Bořislavka Centrum in Prague, and the reconstruction of the former transformer station into the Kunsthalle gallery. Outside the capital, the Nevoga facility in Znojmo, the reconstruction and extension of the Wellner Villa in Olomouc, and the modification of the head of the Hořín lock also received awards. Watertight doors are installed at the heads.

The awarded suspended pedestrian bridge in Dolní Morava is the longest of its kind in the world. Named Sky Bridge 721 according to its length, it is suspended more than 95 meters above the ground. The five-member jury stated that it is a unique solution for a cable-stayed pedestrian bridge. They emphasized the effort to build the bridge with minimal impact on the surrounding nature, which meant modifications in construction methods.

In the reconstruction of the Army Museum, the jury appreciated, among other things, the cleanliness of detail execution and humility towards the original form of the building. The repair of the Clam-Gallas Palace, which also received a public award, succeeded due to the challenging reconstruction and its high quality.

The modification of the head of the Hořín lock stood out for its unique technical solution, which was deemed exceptionally bold by the jury. "The memory of the place has been preserved here, a testament to the technical skill of our ancestors, while functionality is revived on a contemporary level,” states the evaluation.

The Nevoga Znojmo facility received the award for the construction of an administrative building as "an intelligent house." The footbridge over the Elbe in Nymburk was recognized also for its shape and color harmony with the existing structure of the nearby historic arch bridge. In the reconstruction of the Wellner Villa in Olomouc, the jury highlighted, among other things, the garden modifications.

Stages Hotel Prague appealed to the jurors with the project of a functional circular building, enhancing both the spatial and operational composition of the O2 Arena complex. In the reconstruction and extension of Kunsthalle, they emphasized the entrance ramp and the overall impression of the execution. The administrative and commercial building Bořislavka Centrum Prague was recognized for the connection of differing environments and heights of the terrain as "a crystalline structure of four buildings on a common foundation."

In the construction field personality of the year, architectural historian and theorist Radomíra Sedláková was recognized, who served as chair of the Building of the Year jury from 1993 to 2019.

The winning ten emerged from 31 nominated projects. A total of 83 constructions were submitted, including foreign ones, with 79 being Czech. The competition is for buildings completed and put into operation or approved by the end of May this year. Submissions included new constructions, reconstructions, transport constructions, exteriors, interiors, as well as significant patios and gardens.

The announcement of this year's edition will be followed by a festive gala evening on November 18 at the Rudolfinum in cooperation with the Czech Philharmonic. The organizers will recap all titles and buildings from the 30-year history of the competition.

Buildings of the Year 2022

Building	Designer	Investor
reconstruction of the Army Museum in Žižkov	Techniserv	Ministry of Defense
modification of the head of the Hořín lock	Valbek	Directorate of Waterways of the Czech Republic
Nevoga Znojmo facility	HiProjekt	Nevoga Immo
Sky Bridge 721, Dolní Morava	Taros Nova	Sněžník
footbridge over the Elbe in Nymburk	Stránský, Hustý and partners	City of Nymburk
Stages Hotel Prague	AED project	Bestsport
reconstruction of the Clam-Gallas Palace	M3M and ARPEMA	City of Prague
reconstruction and extension of Kunsthalle Prague	Schindler Seko Architects	Property Klárov
Bořislavka Centrum Prague	Aulík Fišer architects	KKCG Real Estate
reconstruction of the Wellner Villa in Olomouc	studioPAB	private

Source: Foundation for the Development of Architecture and Construction