An open international contest is being held to retrofit and upgrade the Brutalist-style Prior shopping centre in Most, Czechia (Deadline: 27 June) The two-stage competition – organised by the Centre for Central European Architecture (CCEA MOBA) on behalf of the City of Most – will select a design team to upgrade the 1973 complex located on a prominent site in the centre of the planned 1970s coal-mining settlement. The £750,000 (22.2 million CZK) ‘SuperMost – SuperPrior’ project will transform the landmark building – which is the centrepiece of a vast planned city designed by Václav Krejčí and constructed following the demolition of historic Most to make way for a lignite mine – into a new community and cultural hub for the settlement. Competition site: SuperPrior, Most According to the brief: ‘The city of Most is announcing its first competitive dialogue, SuperMost – SuperPrior. Prior, opened in 1976 as the city's main shopping centre, has the potential to become a community and cultural hub. ‘The aim is to design a new future for the former department store – a place for new functions, sharing, and meeting. The current building is to be reintegrated into the life of the city and offer meaningful use.’ Founded in mid-13th century, Most is a historic settlement of 63,000 inhabitants located in the Ústí nad Labem Region of Czechia close to Germany’s southern border. Most was demolished from 1965 to 1985 to make way for a lignite mine with a new planned settlement created in the Brutalist style featuring housing estates, a shopping centre, a culture centre, planetarium and an office skyscraper. The latest contest also comes shortly after CCEA MOBA launched a contest to retrofit and upgrade the former Palace Hotel in Ostrava. The ‘SuperMost – SuperPrior’ contest is the first part of a bigger programme of renewal drawn up by CCEA MOBA and the City of Most which will include an artistic intervention on the city hall and wider city centre renewal initiative. Competition site: SuperPrior, Most The project focuses on transforming the shopping centre into a new venue for film screenings and a gastronomy marketplace addressing the lack of similar facilities in the local area. Judges will include Marie Kašparová, director of Kultura Praha 3; Gerry Schwyter, architect at EM2N in Zurich; Marina Kounavi, founder of ANAGRAM in Athens; and the mayor of Most, Marek Hrvol. The contest language is Czech and English. Submissions will be judged on architectural quality including social-cultural value, aesthetic and functional quality; and technological solution comprising material and structural choices, environmental responsibility and energy performance. The overall winner will receive a £23,540 (CZK 700,000) prize while a second prize of £20,180 (CZK 600,000), third prize of £13,450 (CZK 400,000) and a fourth and fifth prize each worth £8,410 (CZK 250,000) will also be awarded. How to apply Deadline: 2pm local time, 27 June Competition funding source: Not supplied Project funding source: Not supplied Owner of site(s): Not supplied Contact details: karin@cceamoba.czVisit the competition website for more information

An open international contest is being held to retrofit and upgrade the former Palace Hotel in Ostrava, Czechia (Deadline: 6 June) The two-stage competition – organised by the Centre for Central European Architecture (CCEA MOBA) on behalf of the developer ANTRACIT – will select a design team to upgrade the historic complex located on a prominent site in the centre of Czechia’s third largest settlement. The £20 million (600 million CZK) project will transform the landmark building – which first opened in 1913, became abandoned in the 1990s and was later converted into a student accommodation complex – into a new vibrant city block playing a key role in Ostrava's urban and social fabric. Competition site: Palace Hotel, Ostrava According to the brief: ‘We'd like to invite you to participate in an international architectural competition as a competitive dialogue, aimed at reviving the Hotel Palace in the heart of Ostrava. ‘This building bears the marks of its era – it is a witness to changing ideals, visions, and the city's rhythm. Now, the time has come for it to become a vibrant place once again – a home for new residents, open to services and unexpected encounters. ‘We are seeking a solution that connects historical value with the needs of the present, one that understands Ostrava and the people who shape it.’ Founded in 1267, Ostrava is a large industrial city located close to the Polish border in the north-east of Czechia. The settlement is home to around 280,000 people and local landmarks include the contest-winning Ostrava Concert Hall by Steven Holl Architects. In January, the City of Ostrava launched a competition create a new €100 million (CZK 2.5 billion) football stadium for FC Baník Ostrava on the location of the club’s existing grounds which have been in use since 1959 and are located near to Ostrava’s New City Hall. The latest contest also comes just months after international competitions were announced for a new urban quarter in Jindřichův Hradec, for the €244 million upgrade of flood defences in Olomouc and to transform the disused Hotel Strojař in nearby Přerov. Competition site: Palace Hotel, Ostrava Judges will include Silvia Forlati, architect and co-founder of a Viennese studio SHARE; Pascal Müller, architect and co-founder of the office Müller Sigrist Architekten; Zuzana Bajgarová, director of ANTRACIT; and Michaela Yaparsidi, architect and project manager in HESTA Immobilien in Zurich. The contest language is Czech and English. Submissions will be judged on architectural quality, urban context, design economy and the potential benefits for city residents and visitors. The overall winner will receive a £27,000 (CZK 800,000) prize while a second prize of £20,000 (CZK 600,000), third prize of £15,000 (CZK 450,000) and a fourth and fifth prize each worth £13,500 (CZK 400,000) will also be awarded. How to apply Deadline: 6 June Competition funding source: ANTRACIT Palace 2 Project funding source: ANTRACIT Palace 2 Owner of site(s): ANTRACIT Palace 2 Contact details: karin@cceamoba.czVisit the competition website for more information