Competition: Valašské Meziříčí school sports hall, Czechia

The single-stage competition – organised by the Centre for Central European Architecture (CCEA MOBA) –will select a design to extend the gymnasium of the Křižná Primary School in the centre of the historic settlement which is located 34km northeast of Zlín.

The project will deliver an upgraded sports facility for both the school, which lacks adequate facilities, and the town, which needs a new civic sports and training centre. Concepts will be expected to compliment the existing site without any demolition of the current buildings.

According to the brief: ‘The Křižná Primary School is the largest primary school in the town of Valašské Meziříčí and is located in close proximity to the centre. It is currently attended by 636 children of the 1st and 2nd grade.

‘The school’s sports hall has long been inadequate for today’s requirements for sports education and the town has been planning for some time to build a new sports hall to supplement the need for sports facilities in the town.

‘The city has therefore decided to merge these two needs and locate the new hall on the school grounds, where it would serve not only the needs of the school, but also the city outside of school hours.

‘The aim is therefore for the new hall to provide suitable sports facilities not only for the primary school children but also to offer the public a space for training and sport.’

Founded in 1297 – Valašské Meziříčí is a historic market town and major industrial centre of around 23,000 residents. Local landmarks include the 16th century Žerotín Castle and the Baroque-style Kinský Castle which is now home to the Wallachian Regional Museum.

Křižná Primary School was constructed on a riverside site in the 1960s as part of a larger housing estate. The complex features four pavilion buildings and can host a maximum of 750 students.

Organised on behalf of City of Valašské Meziříčí, the competition is the latest to be launched by CCEA MOBA in recent weeks. Other recent contests have focussed on the €244 million upgrade of flood defences in Olomouc and the transformation of Husovo Square and Arnošta z Pardubic Square in the centre of Český Brod.

Key aims of the latest project include creating a new contextually-sensitive and multi-functional sports hall with a spectator capacity of 200-people. Changing rooms, teaching rooms, staff facilities and outdoor exercise spaces will also be required.

Judges will include Janica Šipulová, founder of Brno-based practice consequence forma; the Czech landscape architect Zdeněk Sendler; Gabriela Smetanová of heritage specialist firm Plural studio; Petr Nachtman, deputy mayor of Valašské Meziříčí; and the head of Křižná Primary School, Milena Medková.

The competition language is Czech. The overall winner will receive a £13,750 (400,000 CZK) prize while a second prize of £10,300 (300,000 CZK) and third prize of £5,150 (150,000 CZK) will also be awarded.