A record 40 buildings entered the 20th year of the Pilsen Region Building of the Year

25/05/2023

Klatovy, May 25 (ČTK) – A record 40 buildings entered this year’s Building of the Year of the Pilsen Region in the 20 years of the competition. The important role of municipalities was confirmed. Plzeň, the region and smaller cities are increasing investment volumes and thus keeping the construction industry in the region together with the infrastructure projects of the state. The industry has been struggling with declines for the second year. The competition contributes to increasing the quality of buildings, designers and builders consider it prestigious, thanks to the titles they win interesting contracts, the head of the regional department of regional development and chairman of the expert jury, Miloslav Michalec, told ČTK.

“The role of municipalities in the region is very important. Just like the city, we will not discount construction projects because the private sector will collapse,” said governor Rudolf Špoták (Pirates). Pilsen Mayor Roman Zarzycký (ANO) described this year’s budgets of Pilsen and the region as highly pro-investment. “The municipality has a clear task – to keep the whole segment alive,” stated Michalec confirmed that the public sector is building a lot.

There are three more applications than last year. “All seven competition categories are represented, the most entries were reconstructions, a total of 15,” stated Nominations will be announced by a seven-member expert jury on June 22. Winners will be announced on September 7.

“In addition to the admirable number of buildings, I was mainly surprised by their quality, which I verified for example at the TechTower in Pilsen (a technology center in a former brewery).” said Stephan Kronmüller, CEO of Eurosoftware, which is a partner of the competition.

In addition to the TechTower, the registered renovations include the Chodská cafe in the fire station and the cemetery gate, both in Klenčí na Domažlicko, the renovation of the synagogue and the rabbinical house in Pilsen, the Prague Gate in Horažďovice, alterations to the Gallery in Klenová na Klatovsk, the town hall in Mirošov near Rokycan and Semler’s villa in Pilsen, whose spatial concept was designed by the world-famous architect Adolf Loos. In the category of new buildings, only one building is registered this year – the new building of the Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University in Pilsen, nine new buildings are classified as residential buildings. Four representatives have transport and engineering structures – such as the Rechle bridge over the Vydra na Modrava, flood protection measures in Těchlovice near Stříbra and a tram depot in Pilsen – the most expensive construction in the competition at 1.8 billion CZK. In the industrial buildings there is a factory for the production of BALL beverage cans in Pilsen, sports and leisure buildings and public spaces are also represented. The full overview is on the competition website.

According to Michalek, the jury will visit all the buildings. The largest number of applications are from Pilsen, for example all buildings from the housing category. Last year, an apartment building in Jetelová street in Pilsen, a recreational building Útulnoff in Milínov and a public space near the Pilsen railway station Paluba Hamburk won the title.

Author:
CTK

Photo: kirill_makarov, source: Shutterstock