Jeseníky Nature Center in Karlova Studánka

Team: František Novotný, M.Arch., Karel Goláň, M.Arch., Daniel Hub, M.Arch.

Our competition proposal responds to the unique character of this spa town and its surrounding natural environment; it draws on the region’s cultural richness and respects its precious natural assets. The main goal was to combine traditional architectural elements of the Jeseník region with modern technologies, thereby highlighting local history, nature, and sustainability.

Although we didn’t receive an award from the jury this time—our solution may have seemed “too technical” to them—we see this as confirmation that we aren’t afraid of new challenges and are pursuing a path of bold innovation. Traditional building materials, fast and environmentally friendly construction methods, the use of renewable energy sources, and a focus on minimizing our environmental footprint are precisely the “technical” aspects that we consider key to the sustainable development of both tourism and architecture.

Interconnected exhibition and multifunctional spaces, information facilities, outdoor relaxation areas with views of the natural surroundings, and a colonnade with a gazebo—serving as the entrance to the geopark—represent the new, inspiring face of the tourist center in Karlova Studánka. We believe that even without an official victory, our design shows a way to elegantly blend the heritage of the past with the technologies of the future.