The transformation of Prague's Florenc quarter is progressing to the next phase. Penta Real Estate, in cooperation with the capital city of Prague and the city districts of Prague 1 and Prague 8, has announced four international architectural competitions for four blocks in the area between the highway and the Prague-Florenc bus station.
In 2021, an international urban planning competition was held for this area, the winner of which was the team of UNIT architects, A69 - architects and Marko&Placemakers. The regulatory drawing for this area envisages the creation of two main pedestrian streets connecting Nové Město, Karlín and Žižkov in the places where the main road and the Negrelli Viaduct pass.
"Three years ago, the Florenc21 urban planning competition showed the way out of a complex situation of mutual mistrust and managed to set up a process in which all key actors were heard. The result of the competition Florenc21 is a widely respected urban design, which we can now follow up on a more detailed scale. I believe that the atmosphere of mutual respect and the effort to design a truly functioning district will also be reflected in the quality of the architecture that will emerge from the just-announced competitions," said Petr Hlaváček, Deputy Mayor of Prague.
Architectural teams from all over the world can apply for the competitions until December 13, 2024. The jury will then select six to eight participants for each competition based on the idea concept, reference projects and the experience of the applicant team. The winning proposals will be announced in autumn 2025.
The individual blocks have different sizes and different functional uses. Overall up to 85,000 sqm of HPP will be newly created in the area. More than half will be used for housing, 20% for offices, a similar proportion of space for retail and services, and the rest 4% will be occupied by the hotel.
The competitions will run concurrently and will have one common jury. "I have the honour of leading a jury composed of distinguished colleagues from various corners of Europe. The competition specification formulates expectations of high architectural quality from the investor and the city of Prague. From an architectural point of view as well as from the point of view of sustainable approaches, we are all looking forward to being able to evaluate and find the best solution for each of the new houses," said the world-renowned architect Stefan Behnisch, who was elected chairman of the jury. The independent part of the jury will also include Italian Maria Alessandra Segantini, Dutch Kees Christiaanse, Lithuanian Gilma Teodora Gylyte, and the Czech Architecture Prize winner Štepán Valouch.
