Companies and architectural studios from all over the Czech Republic submitted eight dozen office projects to the Office of the Year competition. "I am very pleasantly surprised by the number of interesting office projects that have been submitted to this year's Office of the Year competition. Although not many new office projects have been completed recently, many companies have gone the route of modernizing and redesigning existing spaces - and often very successfully," says Radek Procházka, Chairman of the Office of the Year jury and Managing Partner of Prochazka & Partners, which has organized the competition for the ninth time, and adds: "The jury's selection was not easy this year either - a number of original, functional and thoughtfully designed office interiors competed for the win, which definitely deserve our attention and recognition."
The competition's expert jury, consisting of leading experts in the office business, including Radek Procházka from Prochazka & Partners, Petr Zahálka from ProInterier, Jiří Zavadil from Vitra and Jaroslav Vendl from SilentLab, as well as architects led by the world-renowned Eva Le Peutrec and the chairman of the Association of Architects, Oleg Haman, awarded the following projects in individual categories:
CATEGORIESCOMPANYARCHITECTSLOCATIONLarge officesNotinoKYZLINK ARCHITECTSBrnoRegional officesPKV BuildConcept.A and Studio ACHTBrnoHybrid officesMOL Czech RepublicCAPEXUSPragueStart-up officesJSK InvestmentsBekArchPragueSmall officesDeveronCISARSTUDIOPragueIT officesMews SystemsA3 ArchitectsPragueInnovative officesCMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang, attorneysSTORYTELLING ARCHITECTSPragueHub & Co-working officesHONEST WorkspacesKlikarchŘíčanyEmployee Friendly officesSCS SoftwareStudio PerspektivPragueJury AwardTKC GroupTKC GroupPrague
The jury evaluated the office interiors in terms of the uniqueness and design of the spaces, innovations (technological, material, practical), atmosphere, and above all the quality of the working environment and satisfaction of the needs of employees. Across all categories, the jury also appreciated the attractiveness of the working environment and how pleasant and comfortable the office is to work.
“In many implementations, it is clear that the company's identity is reflected in the atmosphere and interior design of the offices. We saw thoughtful work with space, light and materials. I appreciate the architects' efforts to combine structures, layer textures and use artistic elements as an integral part of the concept. This creates offices that are not just a place to work, but have their own character and story,” says architect and urban planner Eva Le Peutrec. Chairman of the Association of Architects Oleg Haman adds: "The winning projects of this year are exceptional not only in terms of architecture, but also in their approach to people. It is clear that companies are increasingly understanding how important it is to create a high-quality and pleasant working environment. Employers are investing considerable resources in the implementation of spaces that support concentration, mutual communication and employee well-being, thereby creating the prerequisites for their flawless higher performance. This is key today."
"I have been a jury member of the competition for nine years and the creativity in office designs continues to surprise me - this year we have seen a number of exceptional projects. It is fascinating to watch how not only design approaches, but also materials and technologies themselves have moved forward over the years. I am very happy to be a part of it," says Petr Zahálka, Sales Director of ProInterier. “What unites today’s great offices is their ability to adapt. They are designed to respond to new working models, support the diverse needs of teams, and at the same time stand up to sustainability. I am pleased that this year’s entries were dominated by solutions that are future-proof – not just visually, but also qualitatively,” adds Jiří Zavadil, Managing Director of Vitra CZ. Jaroslav Vendl, co-founder of SilentLab, adds: “One of the significant trends in office design is clearly the emphasis on acoustically pleasant facilities for employees – a space where they can relax, have a snack, and informally network with colleagues. At the same time, we are seeing acoustic boxes in offices to a much greater extent than before, providing the necessary privacy in the middle of an open space.”
The Office of the Year competition, organized by the consulting company Prochazka & Partners, would not be possible without the support of partners, which this year included Casua, eTruhlárna, Interface, Lockers, Nespresso Professional, Obec architektů, ProInterier, SilentLab, Store Media and Vitra.
