22. June 2026
Penta Real Estate and DBK Praha, in cooperation with the City of Prague and Prague 4 District, have launched the international urban and architectural competition Nová Budějárna. The competition aims to redefine the area surrounding Budějovická metro station and transform the currently fragmented and difficult-to-navigate site of approximately 40,000 square metres into a vibrant urban centre with housing, high-quality public spaces and an expanded range of services.
Eight renowned architectural teams from the Czech Republic and abroad have been invited to participate. The Czech studios A8000, Pavel Hnilička Architects+Planners and UNIT architekti will compete alongside international firms COBE and ADEPT from Denmark, GINA Barcelona Architects from Spain, Hamonic + Masson & Associés from France, and Howells from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The selected teams were chosen for their extensive experience in large-scale urban regeneration projects and the design of high-quality public spaces.
The competition focuses on the area bounded by Budějovická, Olbrachtova, Poláčkova and Antala Staška streets. The brief includes the preservation of the iconic DBK department store, improvements to pedestrian connectivity and transport organisation, and the exploration of opportunities for high-rise development. Input gathered from local residents through a public participation process has also been incorporated into the competition brief.
The competition will be conducted as a two-stage design workshop under the supervision of an international jury chaired by German architect Stefan Behnisch. Initial concepts will be submitted at the end of the summer, with the best proposals advancing to the second stage. The winning design is expected to be announced at the turn of 2026 and 2027, while construction is planned to begin in 2029.
novabudejarna.cz
