Medard, a future smart city
In 2016, after years of gradual filling, the Medard-Libík coal mine was finally transformed into a lake, generating development potential in a landscape depleted by centuries of mining. In this regard, an urban design competition for the area was announced last summer by the Karlovo Vary region and the energy company Sokolovská uhelná, and the most solid vision was the one of Studio A8000, by architect Martin Krupauer. The main goal of the Medard Lake project is to bring sustainable development and create new jobs, to prevent young people and workers from leaving the region. For this reason, on the eastern side, the gradual growth of a port city with various types of housing is planned, complemented by a marina, a harbour and a square, connected to a pedestrian and bicycle path that will run along the entire lake.
The five neighbouring municipalities that will be most affected by the future development of the area also joined the project. Although they consider the project beneficial, there are concerns regarding the capacity of the public infrastructure. According to mayor Vladimír Adamec, it is crucial to make the roads around the area more efficient, considering aspects such as the distance from railways, motorways, the capital Prague, and Bavaria. The architects see a different potential in Medard than in Lipno nad Vltavou or Lake Màcha, which are only considered holiday destinations for families. The A8000 study also aims to create a site that is as energy self-sufficient as possible, with a photovoltaic power plant that will not just produce enough energy for local consumption but also supply excess energy to the public grid. This will be complemented by a hydroelectric plant, a wind farm and agro-voltaic. The latter will not only occupy the farmland with solar panels but will also use the area underneath for cultivation.
According to Eurostat data, which illustrate what will happen in the future in terms of prosperity in Europe, only Prague, Central Bohemia and Pilsen are expected to grow in the Czech Republic. The task of the developers is to change the perception of the area around the lake, attract people who want to be permanently connected to it and convince everyone that Sokolov is not so far from the main areas of interest, such as the capital Prague, and Bavaria.
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