The best in real estate. Fragment and Masaryčka both scored at the Best of Realty awards

Best of Realty, the competition that every year picks out the finest and most remarkable property achievements of the past twelve months, has celebrated a quarter of a century of its existence. And once again it took stock of what has been happening on the Czech real estate market.

A record eighty-three projects were nominated for this year's edition, which is now owned by the Association for Real Estate Market Development (ARTN) and counts Forbes among its partners, so there was plenty to choose from.

“It is certainly excellent news that even in difficult times the Czech property market can generate very interesting, valuable and high-quality projects,” said Tomáš Drtina, chairman of the expert jury. 

At the gala evening in Forum Karlín, the award for the best larger residential project went to the Fragment building, completed this year by Marcel Soural's Trigema investment group in collaboration with David Černý and the Qarta Architektura studio.

The jury praised the exceptional architecture of the building, the quality of the workmanship and the technology controlling the entire house. Fragment also impressed with its sculptures by David Černý and, in the jury's view, has enriched the map of Prague's architectural achievements, drawing the attention of Czech and foreign visitors to the capital alike. On top of that, the Trigema building was also named Environmental Project of the Year.

In the category of smaller residential projects the winner was the luxury apartment building La Vida Residence with its facade of stainless steel rods, while among office centres the crown went to a project by Penta Real Estate that is probably the most visible property development of recent years.

Masaryčka won the jury over above all with the successful revitalisation of an extensive brownfield site in the centre of Prague and with its architecture by Zaha Hadid Architects.

Penta Real Estate, part of the investment group of Marek Dospiva, the eleventh richest Czech, took away one more title from last night's ceremony. The jury inducted its director Petr Palička into the competition's Hall of Fame.

In the shopping centre category the jury awarded first place to the OC Palác Pardubice project, among hotels it was Hotel Thaya in Havraníky that scored, and in the warehouse and industrial category the jury was most impressed by the Beta and Gama buildings in the Urbanity Campus Tachov project.

This year the special jury prize went to two projects. One of the winners is the Císařské lázně (Imperial Spa)
in Karlovy Vary, whose sensitive and innovative reconstruction has created a modern setting for cultural and social events. Forbes tried it out for itself, holding its large Lepší Česko conference at the Císařské lázně in October.

The second award-winning project was the renovation of the Winternitz automatic mills in Pardubice, which brought to successful completion the bold idea of transforming an extensive brownfield site on the bank of the river Chrudimka.

The complete Best of Realty results
Larger-scale residential projects:

1. FRAGMENT Karlín (Trigema, QARTA Architektura)
2. Parvi Cibulka (YIT Stavo, Jakub Cigler Architekti)
3. Jinonický dvůr (CREDITAS Real Estate, MS Architekti)

Smaller-scale residential projects:

1. La Vida residence (Pavel Rejchrt, under-construction architects)
2. U Kazínské skály (IBS-Rokal, Šafer Hájek architekti s.r.o.)
3. Domy Chomoutov, phase I (o’home, Martin Fröml, Andrea Stříbrná)

Office centres:

1. Masaryčka (Penta Real Estate, Zaha Hadid Architects)
2. Port7 (Skanska Property Czech Republic, DAM.architekti)
3. Organica (CONTERA Investment X, SCHINDLER SEKO ARCHITEKTI)

Shopping centres:

1. OC Palác Pardubice (Palác Pardubice s.r.o., ESTE Design & Consulting)
2. JAVOR Centrum (Vifina Delta, KYZLINK ARCHITECTS)
3. OC Stará Boleslav (Traxial, VMS projekt)

Hotels:

1. Hotel THAYA (THAYA vinařství winery, Jakub Cigler Architekti)
2. Resort Český les – Aparthotel Železná (Apartmány Český les, Konceptual studio)
3. Apartmány Florián (OPBH DEVELOPMENT, MS architekti)

Warehouse and industrial parks:

1. Urbanity Campus Tachov – the Beta and Gama buildings (URBANITY, Studio Komplits)
2. Contera Park Ostrava D1 (CONTERA Investment VIII., SPOTarchitects)
3. Panattoni Park Ostrov North – building B (Panattoni Czech Republic, Rotagroup)

Special jury prize:

• The Winternitz automatic mills (Pardubice)
• Císařské lázně (Karlovy Vary)

Environmental Project of the Year:

• FRAGMENT Karlín

The ARTN Award for contribution to the real estate market:

• Jana Hrabětová

Hall of Fame:

• Petr Palička, Penta Real Estate