Information Center and Café of Oskar Schindler

photograph: Bc. Jiří Jiroutek

The café and information center is located in a historic building within the premises of the City Hall on Dvořákova Street. The new organism enters the restored agricultural building, creating a distinctive modern café that provides information about the history and present of the city through both classical and modern technologies.
The main concept is to create a space where a modern café with all its necessary attributes is in mutual symbiosis with the historical building in its original form. This gives rise to the idea of a HOUSE IN A HOUSE, where the original building is cleansed of all insensitive layers from the recent past and into which a functional house with all contemporary technologies is inserted. The visitor thereby comes into contact with authentic history while also being provided with all necessary comfort. The experience of the entire space is heightened by the glazed ceiling above part of the guest area. Furthermore, there is a view into the park and access to the outdoor terrace.
The object also serves as one of the points in the city's information system. This function is taken on by the new café in an unconventional way, where the visitor approaches a symbolic gate with basic information about the town of Svitavy. Upon entering the building through large glass doors, they can gain further knowledge about the city, its history, and surrounding areas along the so-called PATH OF KNOWLEDGE, which guides the visitor through the space between the old and new buildings. Information is presented here in the form of large, artistically designed texts of individual events and on monitors providing information about various towns along the Czech-Moravian border. While in the café, guests can also gain additional insights through a permanent projection on the café walls. An integral part of the work is, not least, the light spatial composition installed above the café's glazed ceiling. It consists of thirty-two neon tubes that create a network of intersecting lines, irregularly rhythmized by alternating switching off and on in six different positions. Each change is accompanied by a sound effect. This rhythmically dynamic light and acoustic composition serves as a measure of time and the transformations the city has gone through in its history. The resulting artistic piece enhances the atmosphere during the reading of texts and, with its irregular cycle, evokes the flow of events and the continuity in the development of Svitavy. Although the light composition is an integral part of the architecture, it remains a distinct piece of art.

photograph: Bc. Jiří Jiroutek

The entire object can be divided into four basic functional parts: the path of knowledge with elements of the city's information system, a café with dining options and internet access, public restrooms primarily serving park visitors, and the operational facilities of the café – kitchen, storage areas, and spaces for the staff of this establishment.
The color and material solution of the entire object is designed in muted tones with calm architectural details, avoiding any ambition to attract attention. The aim of this solution is to suppress the impact of the facility and thus allow light, projection, and the information system, which is the main theme of the project, to dominate. The table and seating furniture are designed in the colors of hot black coffee, and the bar counter
utilizes materials in their primary form. The bar's back area is very transparent, using only the effect of subtle steel profiles, glass panels, and a large mirror, which optically enlarges the space and creates the illusion of a view from the café into nature. Another component of the entire project is a mobile stage and a portal symbolizing an open window into the park towards the Oskar Schindler memorial, subtly guiding the visitor towards further exploration. The park is also enlivened by seemingly casually placed objects, which are meant to serve as play items for children and stimulate their imagination and creativity for use and enjoyment.