The winner of the international architectural competition for the design of the Ostrava Towers Complex skyscraper to be built in the centre of Ostrava is the Danish studio ADEPT. At 170 metres, it will be the tallest building in the Czech Republic. The jury chose from five designs by architectural studios. The winning project impressed the jury primarily because it integrates the area and connects it with the public space of Karolina, the Frýdlant bridges and the wider urban development in the area where the construction is planned. Michaela Vávrová, spokesperson for the project, announced today. The building should be one of the landmarks of the regional capital.
The private investor has already started negotiations with the winning studio ADEPT, and the next stages of the design and permitting procedures have begun. The construction is scheduled to start in 2028, with an expected completion and start of operation by 2032.
“Ostrava Towers Complex has the ambition to become the tallest building in the Czech Republic. The height of the taller residential tower will be 170 metres. The project envisages the construction of a residential part with apartments, but also offices, a view, a hotel, SPA, congress facilities, restaurants and shops. An ambitious aspect of the winning proposal is the safe connection of the plot, now cut off by traffic, to the existing lively boulevard, which will complete the urban axis towards the Troihala,” said Vávrová.
In addition to the Danish studio, three Dutch studios – MVRDV, KAAN Architecten and IND, as well as London-based Bogle Architects – participated in the competition. “All the projects submitted were of very high quality and well developed. I am all the more pleased that there was a clear consensus between the representatives of our investment group and the independent part of the jury, which included experienced architects, on the winning design. The design of the building fits in perfectly with the location, it relates to the industrial heritage of Ostrava, and at the same time it is a modern and timeless building,” said Tomáš Häring, founder of RT TORAX, the investor of the building.
According to Anders Lonka of the winning studio ADEPT, the Ostrava Towers Complex represents a new vibrant centre connecting the historic part of Ostrava with New Carolina. “The strategic layout of the residential and mixed-use tower on the so-called Tears site creates a green square between the buildings and invites visitors to an active public parterre full of cafés, restaurants, shops, entertainment and culture. In the project, we aim to create a high-quality public space, good microclimatic conditions, safer and better infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, all while respecting Ostrava’s historical heritage,” said Lonka.
Also according to Mayor Jan Dohnal (Together), the winning design brings the necessary connection between the area near the Forum Nová Karolina shopping centre and its surroundings. “I very much like the concept of the parterre, which allows for comfortable pedestrian movement in all directions and also creates a square for meetings and community activities. I assess the whole Ostrava Towers Complex project as ambitious and after its implementation our city will gain another landmark with the handwriting of renowned architects,” said Dohnal.
Studio ADEPT was founded in 2006 and is based in Copenhagen and Hamburg. For example, the university campus in Falun, Sweden, and the New School of Architecture in Aarhus, Denmark, were built according to the studio’s designs. The building has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Architecture Prize in 2024, which is awarded every two years by the European Union, a spokeswoman said.
In the past, the building has been criticised by some councillors who have called it completely unnecessary. An amendment to the contract between the city and the investor provided for the architectural competition. The design of the project has changed several times in the past. Initially, there was talk of a high-rise building with one tower, then a variant of two towers, which finally took precedence.
Source: ADEPT and CTK
