RaumScape is an international design competition has launched through a collaboration of private investors, the Capital City of Prague, and the Prague 1 municipality. The goal is to transform a privately owned piazzetta at the end of Pařížská Street—known for high-end retail and positioned between residential calm and diverse architectural styles—into a vibrant, inclusive, world-class public space. Located in front of the recently renovated Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel—formerly the brutalist InterContinental Hotel, now restored by TaK Architects—the site holds symbolic weight in Prague’s historic center. Despite its prime location, it is the roof of an underground car park and includes multiple levels of garage infrastructure. The first stage of the competition is non-design-focused, serving as a portfolio round. Applicants must submit reference projects by June 2, 2025.
RaumScape represents a landmark opportunity to reimagine a space in the historic core of one of Europe’s most architecturally and culturally rich capitals. The competition calls for creative ideas that are both visionary and grounded, shaping a public realm fit for Prague’s next century. Entirely privately funded, the project represents a significant investment of approximately €6 million (CZK 150 million), reflecting the long-term commitment of the Czech owners to revitalizing this prominent urban site.
Organized by CCEA MOBA, the competition merges the architectural concept of Raumplan with landscape design—embodying a vision for a multi-layered, continuous urban realm where architecture and public space are seamlessly interwoven. It invites architects, landscape architects, and urban designers from around the world to propose bold yet context-sensitive designs that blend public, community, commercial, and social functions into a cohesive civic environment.
Previously underutilized and disconnected, the 3,200 m² piazzetta now presents a rare opportunity to extend the prestige and pedestrian rhythm of Pařížská Street toward the Vltava River, introduce greenery, shade, and water features, enable barrier-free movement for pedestrians, cyclists, and families, and create a public space of lasting value that honors its UNESCO-listed heritage context while serving both local life and international visitors. This vision must also thoughtfully integrate the necessary technical infrastructure and commercial space in a way that enhances the public realm.
The winning proposal will mark the final phase of Staroměstská brána (Old Town Gate)—a sensitive reconstruction of a Brutalist landmark, and the culmination of a broader urban renewal initiative led by the Hotel’s private Czech owners: Pavel Baudiš, Eduard Kučera, and Oldřich Šlemr.
International Jury
The competition jury is chaired by Sarah M. Whiting, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and includes leading Czech and international experts:
- Petr Hlaváček (Vice-Chair), 1st Deputy Mayor of the Capital City of Prague
- Mette Skjold, CEO and Senior Partner of SLA
- Magdaléna Juříková, Director of the Prague City Gallery
- Petr Burian, co-Founder of Nextline Architekti
- Karel Grabein Procházka – Councillor of the Municipal District of Prague 1
- Marek Tichý, founder of TaK Architects, author of the reconstruction of the former InterContinental Hotel
Find out more at https://cceamoba.cz/en/competitions/ric
