Open Call: Lake Milada Landscape in Northern Bohemia, Czech Republic

An international two-round landscape, urban, and architectural design competition “Lake Milada” was announced, seeking multidisciplinary teams to style an idea plan for the world of a proper lignite mine near the North Bohemian city of Ústí nad Labem within the Czech Republic .

Teams including landscape architects, urban planners, architects and other experts can submit their application for participation within the competition. As a part of the appliance , a portfolio of reference works shall be submitted. The deadline for application is 31 July 2020. supported the portfolio of reference works a jury will select 6 teams to be invited to require part within the 1st round of the competition, deadline 30 November 2020. it’s anticipated that 3 teams will still the 2nd round. Prizes and remuneration will total 3 875 000 CZK (approx. 145 000 EUR). Entries in both competition rounds are going to be anonymous.

The competition site comprises of former Chabařovice surface lignite mine which was decommissioned in 1990s. The lake and surrounding landscape is that the results of a mine reclamation project. the location spreads across four municipalities, however majority of the world is in state ownership administered by Palivový kombinát Ústí (PKÚ), which is that the competition contracting authority.

“The aim of the competition is to seek out a team which will present a technique for the area’s development that’s both economically viable and environmentally sustainable. The PKÚ state enterprise is trying to find a partner to assist them and other area stakeholders to make the long-term vision and to guide them in its implementation,” explains Petr Návrat from ONplan, the design consultancy that organizes the competition. Lake Milada is a component of a future lake region stretching from the town of Chomutov to Ústí nad Labem.

Historically, the Ústí nad Labem region has undergone numerous rapid changes. After the establishment of in depth surface mines within the middle of 20th century, the naturally fertile, densely populated agricultural landscape effectively ceased to exist. Many villages were abandoned, which severed landscape linkages, also because the ties of former inhabitants to the world .

The Chabařovice Mine reclamation came to an end in 2015 when the lake and its surroundings were opened to the general public . because of high water quality and peaceful natural surroundings, Lake Milada became a well-liked destination for locals offering opportunities for swimming, water sports, in-line skating and cycling. Yet, the location is missing basic facilities for recreational use, transportation linkages are inadequate, and therefore the area isn’t sufficiently connected to its context.

The competition entries shall propose a spatial organization of the site, improve the accessibility of the site, enhance conditions and facilities for recreational use of the area while emphasizing the story of the place and preserving its environmental values. Part of the site is considered to be developed for residential use.