All individuals contribute by their personalities and activities to the value of life. Architects are artists who contribute with their spirit to the value of the world. Architects work toward the balanced harmony of culture, function, technology, environmental protection, proportion and aesthetics, towards harmony between the elements of the built and natural environments. The tradition of the Community of Architects dates back to 1918; it has existed under various names for almost 80 years by now. It is based on the need to establish voluntary professional groups and participate actively in issues of public interest regardless of their form.

The Czech Chamber of Architects is a self-administered professional association. It was established by Act No. 360/1992 Coll. on the
Practice of Licensed Architects and Construction Engineers and Technicians, as amended, as a public law entity with its headquarters
in Prague and with authority across the Czech Republic. It is responsible for the professional, thus practical and ethical execution of the
architects’ profession in the Czech Republic.

Last year’s ARCHITECTS GRAND PRIX – NATIONAL ARCHITECTURE AWARD, the most prestigious award for architects in the Czech Republic, took place for the first time with a new name, and for the first time in cooperation with the largest architects‘ guild in the Czech Republic - the Society of Czech Architects with the Czech Chamber of Architects – an autonomous institution with the transferred execution of state administration. Under the law, the CCA is responsible for the environment created to give rise to architecture in the Czech Republic. Although the competition was held “in cooperation”, it followed rules from previous years. This year’s competition saw a fundamental turning point. In order to clear away many architects’ complaints about the method of nomination and the way the competition is presented, a process to adjust the rules was set in motion. The representatives of convening organizations agreed to establish the ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE. After several months of negotiations, searching for a way to name its members and to define the role of the “academics” in the competition, a group of people was formed whose qualification cannot be disputed. A compromise was also reached as to what role they would play in nominations for the competition. I personally feel happy about the agreement the organizers of the “Architects Grand Prix“ reached. The competition remained unique insofar as the entries are assessed by a completely independent, mostly foreign Jury, and self-nominations are acceptable. The creation of the “academy” added an objective label to quality as it is viewed by experts. That is very important for the competition’s credibility and its position in society.

This year’s National Architecture Award – Architecture Grand Prix was in a way a turning point. For the first time, it was organized by the Society of Czech Architects together with the Czech Chamber of Architects. It was the first time the Academy of Architecture cast their votes. 39 authors were invited to enter as a result of that vote and 30 of them accepted the invitation. The Family House category was introduced for the first time, and it is also the first time all entries will be offered in digital form to the National Gallery – Gallery of Modern Art to record the development of Czech architecture and for further scientific work.

Grand Prix architektů – Národní cena za architekturu je soutěžní přehlídka architektonických prací dokončených v uplynulém roce, pořádaná Obcí architektů a Českou komorou architektů.

Účast v porotě soutěžní přehlídky Grand Prix architektů – Národní cena za architekturu je pro mě inspirující zkušenost. Česko prožívá období velkého rozvoje a dynamicky se vyvíjející stavební kultury. Moderní tvorba architektů je velmi různorodá - od obrovských kancelářských budov až po renovace stávajících průmyslových objektů, které tvoří část českého národního architektonického dědictví, a vytváří tak veřejný prostor.