Czech Republic: The Latest Architecture and News

With locally grown and organic food becoming more popular in the Czech Republic, EDIT! was asked to design a market stall for a new concept of Green Markets. Through a reconfiguration of the typical retailing method, the architects create a unique response to the importance of enabling a personal interaction between the farmers and market visitors. From this, the farmer can relate to the visitors through their produce, and the relationships formed may contribute to the character of the market as a whole. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Designed by Gemawang Swaribathoro, Indra Nugraha, and Morian Saspriatnadi, their ‘Urban Sponge’ concept aims to unify, organize and manage, in one solution, the inner power of this marvelous city. Prague, an ancient city that has a long history of its own architecture style is no longer an underdog city in the European region. With the city becoming one of the most important places in this continent, the sponge concept can be described as a tool of connectivity to absorb the quality of life, to attract people, to make a better living. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Designed by Mjölk Architekti, a high seat was installed on the main square in České Budějovice where it stayed for a month. It is situated high up so that it does not interfere with everyday life on the ground and offers sufficient privacy to its occupants. Over the month of the exhibition, this space with a floor area of 6.25 m2 hosted several inspiring personalities, the so-called “urban hunters”. They are the masters of their time and space. All the necessities needed for comfortable living are provided. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Architects: Labor 13 Location: Čeladná, Czech Republic Design Team: Martin Vomastek, Albert prazák, Jiri Bardodej Project Year: 2011 Photographs: Soucek – Vomastek – Straka

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Designed by Libor Šenekel, Vaclav Havel´s Monument is a symbol of human determination, legacy, and that even one person can change the course of history. Vaclav Havel became unforgettable for many as a symbol of defiance and human determination, which reminds us that even one person is capable of great deeds. Just as today the monument stands against the enormous power of water, that is trying to devour it, stood Vaclav Havel and many others against the oppressive power of communism. The memorial is supposed to fascinate being watched from the waterfront, to inspire fear as well as courage being entered into the masses of water, to lure to step into the unknown. More images and architects‘ description after the break.

Participants in the Skanska Bridging Prague competition were asked to develop a new Vision Plan for the section of the riverfront from Libeňsk (Bridge) to the north to Železniční (Railway Bridge) in Smíchov to the south. The goal was to create a unified experience, linking cultural, recreational, ecological, historical and economic opportunities. They were also asked to design an intervention that will become a premiere destination along the river Vltava. The first prize winning proposal by Pete North focuses on strengthening the natural characteristics of places at the riverside, where it is consistent and feasible. It aims to create a synergy between park localities and the river, connected into a consequent chain of continuous spaces. More images and winning proposals after the break.

CULBURB’s Shaping Cities Symposium + Workshop, which takes place at the Centre for Central European Architecture May 22-23, asks what the nonprofit organizations are today and questions their role in the creation of city space. Are they non-elected groups of interest promoting their own interpretation of public good? Or do they represent a litmus paper of the level of democracy in the society? who can shape the life and form of the city? How and why? a unifying web database of such organizations from whole Europe will take place on the ground of the event. For more information, please visit here.

The Skanska: Bridging Prague International Design Competition, announced by reSITE Festival, ARCHIP (Architectural Institute in Prague) and Skanska, seeks to find new conceptions and proposals for the River Vltava, in Prague, Czech Republic. The scope of the competition is the Vltava riverbank and its immediate context from Libensky Most (Bridge) to the north to Zeleznicni most (Railway Bridge) to the south. This section of the river has really various character and quality on both riverbanks, which gives competitors a chance to select and work on a wide scope of places and areas. The proposals should use existing potential of the Vltava river, define its connection with the city – and lead to creation of attractive public spaces of adequate scale, living by a variety of activities. More information on the competition after the break.

Today, one of the leading exemplars of classic Modern architecture reopens after a two year hiatus. The freshly renovated Villa Tugendhat underwent a monumental restoration and rehabilitation, starting in January 2010, with the aim of preserving and conserving the original building substance and layout, including the construction details, materials and technical system. Renewal work also included the lavish interiors and lush garden. Continue after for the break to learn more about Mies van der Rohe’s renewed masterpiece.

Floating Baths, designed by Ondrej Lipensky and Andrea Kubna, on the Vltava River in Prague is conceived as a closed rounded space, floating on the water surface. Since the waterfront of the river is a problematic issue here in the city, the architects thought about a function that would get local people into the center again. The floating object is accessible by boat and is not connected to the banks of the river. It is an island and in close distance to Strelecky and Slovansky Island, many small harbors with boats and treadles, but also streets overloaded with cars, is a place to take a rest during the busy day for meeting friends. More images and architects’ description after the break.

EDIT! Architects shared with us their design for River Park Modrany, a residential complex in the Modrany district, located in the south of Prague by the Vltava river. The district is typically covered with villas from the beginning of 20th century that surround the Modrany landmark, a 60m high Microna tower. We have divided the plot into strips of land in a perpendicular axis to the main urban lines [tramline, train tracks, main road, the river itself]. A building volume has been placed into every strip and main vertical cores have been defined for all volumes. We have stretched up the core building parts in a way to create the hill-like shapes of the buildings. The volumes have been afterwards rotated in order to improve the particular views from every building. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Architects: Mateo Arquitectura / Josep Lluís Mateo Location: Prague, Czech Republic Project Year: In Progress Project Area: 1,500 sqm Photographs: Courtesy of Mateo Arquitectura

After winning the Restricted Competition in 2004 the construction of the new central access to the National Gallery in Prague began in late 2009 and works are ongoing, it will be completed by the end of this year.

This winning project for the Master Plan of Juzne Centrum in Brno, Czech Republic comes from CHYBIK+KRISTOF ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS selected for the Southern Moravian Region Award 2010. The alternative master plan of “Juzne Centrum” is located in a big brownfield and is driven by local activists groups and the academic institution of Faculty of Architecture at University of Technology in Brno. The project incorporates the principles of ecology and economy towards common good and creates a new economic urban design.

More from this project after the break.