Place of use: Sports Center
Horácká Arena – architecture that gives the city a new rhythm
The Horácká Multifunctional Arena in Jihlava has won the Grand Prix of Architects – the National Architecture Award 2026. RAKO is part of the project. The work by Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof has brought striking contemporary architecture and a new space for community life to the vicinity of the historic centre. It impressed the international jury with its distinctive character and sensitive integration of sport, culture and public space. RAKO tiles also contribute to the look of the interiors of this award-winning complex.
Beneath the red façade, the excitement of ice hockey alternates with music and social events. The arena can accommodate approximately 5,600 spectators for sporting events and up to 7,400 for concerts. Together with the training hall, the operations building and the corner block housing a hotel, restaurant and sports facilities, it forms a complex that remains vibrant even between matches.
The character of the building is also reflected in the hotel interiors, where exposed concrete, exposed structural elements and wood meet a regular grid of ceramic tiles. Part of this material solution are RAKO wall and floor tiles, which have been used throughout the complex, including its hotel.
“We appreciate that architects are giving our materials a place in projects with such a distinctive design signature. Ceramics are intended to support their vision of the space whilst also serving the people who use it every day,” says Pavel Šimon, Project Director at RAKO.
In heavily used areas, the quality of the material is put to the test by day-to-day use. The durability and ease of cleaning of the ceramics help maintain hygiene standards in bathrooms and other facilities.
RAKO offers a comprehensive portfolio of ceramic tiles, ranging from large-format 120 × 120 cm tiles through to inter-combineable formats, mosaics and functional accessories, which, in conjunction with RAKO SYSTEM construction chemicals and expert design services, provide extensive creative freedom as well as comprehensive system solutions for technically demanding projects. The Jihlava project expands LASSELSBERGER’s international portfolio with another building featuring a distinctive architectural style. In the field of sports architecture, its materials have also been used in the Education City and Al Thumama arenas in Qatar, which hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as well as in stadiums in Bratislava, Košice and Prešov.
