XXVI. annual Grand Prix of Architects recognized architects from the Faculty of Architecture

The awards ceremony took place on October 3, 2019 in the Pantheon of the National Museum in the presence of prominent representatives of the professional public, state administration and diplomatic corps.

The winning design, Corsa Pod Lipami in Řevnice, which won the National Architecture Award was selected from a total of 321 entered projects, by an international jury. In its evaluation, the jury states that this is an extraordinary project that could serve as an architectural and urban planning model for the development of disparate localities and cities. This design creates a new, first-rate urban complex in Řevnice, which is naturally continuous on the diverse development of its location and develops it functionally. The orientation of individual buildings breaks up the scale of the ensemble, successfully bridges their “urbanity” with the remnants of the “rural” surrounding barns, small workshops and nature. Many newly-created public spaces, cleverly intertwined with a romantic lighted pedestrian route, connect the square with the train station

Other architects associated with the Faculty of Architecture of CTU, for example, Ondřej Císler, Petr Hájek, Ján Stempel and Jan Jakub Tesař, also received awards.

The prize in the category of landscape architecture for the footbridge over the Dřetovický stream in Vrapice u Kladna was awarded to Ondřej Císler and Petr Tej. The jury appreciated the clearly-defined geometry of the footbridge with curvature in two directions and its design in non-traditional high-strength concrete. The jurors emphasized the poetry of the design, which is enhanced by placing a Baroque statue on one of the banks, a typical motif of the Czech landscape.

The prize for best reconstruction went to the DOX + Center for Contemporary Art in Prague, by Petr Hajek ARCHITECTS, namely architects Petr Hajek, Tereza Keilova, Cornelia Klien, Benedikt Markel and Martin Stoss. Here the jury appreciated the acoustic design solution of the new multifunctional cultural space with an exact square ground plan and with the possibility of connection to the first stage of the gallery and the minimalist solution of the whole building based on the use of low-budget materials both in the interior and exterior of the building.

The jury gave the award for a work of art in architecture to the Bell-house (Zvonička) in Bílovice-Lutotín by Stempel & Tesař Architekti - Ján Stempel, Jan Jakub Tesař. The jury appreciated the modern material and technological execution of an otherwise traditional rural structure and its incorporation into the space of the town square.

An honorary mention was given to the reconstruction of the Water Tower with Observation Post in Prague 7 by the studio Petr Hájek ARCHITEKTI - Petr Hájek, Martin Stoss, Tereza Keilová, and Benedikt Markel. The jury appreciated the method of reconstruction of the water tower and nursery school building.

This year’s international jury comprised the following members: Oliver Sádovský of the Vallo – Sádovský studio, (Slovenia), Fabrizio Barozzi from the BarozziVeiga studio, (Italy), Daniel Zarhy of the PEZ studio (Israel), Irena Fialová, vice-dean of the Faculty of Architecture at CTU Prague (Czech Republic) and Bolle Tham of the ThamVidegard studio (Sweden). Jury members are only permitted to serve once in a lifetime.

More detailed information regarding the winners can be found on the Architect’s Community website.

An exhibition of 50 selected projects will be open for viewing throughout the month of October at the Faculty of Architecture at CTU in Prague, Dejvice.