Ještěd in a cage 09 - 1st place

Small Public Typology in a Small Town
Small towns are often "developed" through megalomaniacal projects (aquaparks, etc.). It is a question of whether such structures can be realized as a series of smaller objects, applied more sensitively and logically within the structures (often historical) of small towns. The goal is to identify towns, places, and typologies and respond to them with an object—a house.

Small Typologies in Polička
The subject of my assignment was to examine small typologies. To analyze function and scale. It was not specified whether these should be small objects or structures composed of these small buildings, which are strongly influenced by and dependent on them. I focused on the typology of the town. A small town. A medieval settlement with a rich history, which has not given up its fortifications and has remained bound behind its walls. These walls also defined the boundary of the area I was addressing.
The urban core of Polička consists of eight basic parts. From the city walls, which enclose the entire town, from towers, which are defensive and thus allow views from the town, from buildings, which form individual blocks, from squares, which are the only public open spaces, from courtyards, which are subdivided by their owners, from paths, which cut through the entire town, from sheds, which are created by garden owners for sitting or storing tools, and from walls and fences, which define the boundaries between individual gardens in the courtyards.
I took all these parts and replicated them at individual locations in Polička to improve or emphasize the place.

The Last Supper
The space in front of the walls consists of two stone objects that connect to the trace of the original curtain wall. An alley from the town passes between them. The objects are like the walls themselves, nearly overlooked from the perspective of the pond. These are two horizontal structures that contain public restrooms, a buffet, and an open seating area. Everything serves tourists, but primarily the residents of Polička, who can spend their leisure time here. You can borrow keys for a boat, bring your own refreshments, and sit together.

In Front of the Church
The space in front of the church is defined by the typology of the wall, while also being the typology of the square. It is a stone wall that aligns with the street line. It complements the street and defines the square by the church. A piazetta, a space that is traditional and has disappeared over time among us. In front of the church, that flat open space is formed with two passages connecting to the lower roadway. The wall contains individual niches that reference classical building openings of the surrounding architecture. It serves as a place where we can hide from the rain or simply sit quietly.

Maternity Hospital of Bohuslav Martinů
Polička is known for its church tower, where Bohuslav Martinů was born. I build on this famous event, while also continuing the tradition of the fortified towers that line Polička. All the standing towers allow views primarily of the surroundings, but not of the town itself; they serve a defensive function.
I propose a tower that is open to views of the town, to the historic core centered on a small area of the original built-up area. A tower that will be accessible to the public, without window and door fillings, thus not lockable.

For Mothers
An open plot at the corner of one block of houses in the northwestern part of the historic core called for filling. Polička has few places in the very center where leisure time can be spent. I connected with the system of sheds, which the residents of Polička cherish. It is a structure that will be completely outdoor but will offer shelter for mothers with small children. A place where mothers and children can meet, communicate, and share their experiences.

Platform
Half of the floor area of the historic core of Polička consists of courtyards. They are places of beauty and mystery, but very few of them are publicly accessible. They belong to the people who live around the given courtyard. Each resident has fenced off their garden with walls. I propose a simple intervention called Action Z, where neighbors agree and cultivate the immediate surroundings together with their own means. One plants a tree, another builds a gate or a smokehouse and grill, another repairs the pump or draws hopscotch for all the children.