And yet it turns! Mladá Boleslav to acquire a unique work of art for its renovated train station
Press Release: The winner has been announced in the open art competition to create a work of art for the new main train station building in Mladá Boleslav
From among 107 submitted entries by individual artists and teams, the expert jury selected the design “Točna” by artist Tomáš Džadoň. The work will be installed in the open space in front of the new station building and will become part of the transformation of a site that, for decades, was perceived more as the city’s outskirts than as its natural gateway. The competition was announced by the Škoda Auto Foundation in cooperation with Správa železnic. The Foundation for Contemporary Art Prague served as the expert guarantor, and the competition was organized by the Centre for Central European Architecture (CCEA MOBA).
The aim of the project was not only to select a work of art for the new station but also to contribute to the cultivation of public space and to open a debate on the city’s form and identity. A total of 107 individuals and artist teams from the Czech Republic and abroad entered the competition, and in the first round, the expert jury selected five finalists: Jiří Černický, Tomáš Džadoň, the trio of Tereza Kalousová, Marie Štindlová, and Erika Velická, and the trio of Lenka Kerdová, Eliška Perglerová, and Iveta Šalamounová, and Matěj Smetana. According to the jury, the final selection represented an exceptionally high-quality and diverse spectrum of the contemporary art scene.
Točna will engage its surroundings and passengers
After several months of work by the finalists and intense discussions, the jury unanimously selected the “Točna” design as the winner. The design features a circular turntable with a diameter of 8.5 meters that rotates slowly and irregularly. The moving platform incorporates a bench, a lamp, and the station visitors themselves. The work thus does not create a classic landmark or monument, but subtly transforms the way people perceive and use the space. It draws inspiration both from the industrial environment, which is inextricably linked to Mladá Boleslav, and from railway history and former station turntables.
“The project at the Mladá Boleslav station is part of our long-term effort to support quality public spaces in the regions where we operate. We believe that contemporary art belongs there just as naturally as quality architecture or greenery. We don’t just want to place an interesting object, but to create a place that has its own atmosphere, sparks curiosity, and offers a new perspective on a space that hundreds of people pass through every day. “I am delighted that, thanks to the open competition, we were able to find a design that responds to the character of Mladá Boleslav while also offering a contemporary and confident vision of what 21st-century public space can look like,” says Ladislav Kučera, Director of the Škoda Auto Foundation.
“A modern and attractive railway isn’t just about speed and new trains, but also about how it affects people and the environment it creates around it. Art, in particular, can significantly enhance public spaces. I am delighted that we have succeeded in Mladá Boleslav, and moreover in close cooperation with the region’s largest employer,” says Tomáš Tóth, CEO of Správa železnic.
Boleslav is becoming a city of art
The competition brief was developed, among other things, based on a survey of prominent figures in Mladá Boleslav’s social, cultural, and professional life. Their responses described the city as a place of contrasts—both historical and modern, industrial and natural, economically successful yet still seeking its own identity in public spaces. It is precisely this multi-layered nature that the winning design responds to. “I am pleased that the construction of the new station building at the Mladá Boleslav railway station is another opportunity for collaboration. The Railway Administration is contributing to the overall transformation of this site by building modern facilities, while our city is preparing to renovate the area in front of the station. I would like to thank the Škoda Auto Foundation for this initiative, through which more than a hundred artists entered the open art competition. “I look forward to the selected work, which will help make this place more attractive and vibrant,” adds Jiří Bouška, Mayor of Mladá Boleslav.
Implementation of the winning design is planned following the completion of the main station’s renovation. The estimated investment costs for the project amount to up to 3 million crowns.
