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Source
x-fatul

Publisher
Tisková zpráva
26.07.2013 00:35

Lukáš Koubek (4th year) - Public Art Garden
studio: Ing.arch. Antonín Novák / assistant: Ing.arch. Vladimír Balda

The original assignment concerned small, low-cost residential construction. While wandering through the city, I was captivated by three transformer stations in the historical core of the city; I thought to myself that, in today's age, the city no longer needs to be marred by buildings of this type. Nowadays, these objects can be placed underground, allowing the creation of structures that are both aesthetically and functionally more beneficial. This became my firm thought and the essence of my approach to work.
I chose a beautiful piece of land in close proximity between the historical center of Litomyšl and the castle area, yet the plot was marred by the transformer station. The gap in the never-built block development "Na Máchadle" struck me immediately upon my first visit. I was enticed to somehow complete, close up, and tidy this block of houses. Through my analyses, I gradually discovered greater and greater beauty in this place. I slowly came to realize that building a residential type structure was not a suitable solution, even though the zoning plan accounted for this intention. The site, on the edge of the park, beneath the museum building, rather required some public character building—a sculpture, a gallery, a theater.
As part of the analysis of the surroundings, I contacted the owners of the neighboring plots. One of the owners of the adjacent land is the gallery owner Zdeněk Sklenář. I introduced him to my intention of completing this forgotten block. Sklenář was surprised and pleased. He mentioned that he had been planning to build an art chapel here for some time and that he would lend me his neighboring plot, where the Art1 garden is currently located. After a brief conversation, I accepted his offer with pleasure. Thus, I had two types of land available. On the left, Mr. Sklenář's plot, designated for residential construction according to the zoning plan, but with the intention of an art chapel. On the right side was the city plot with a still-functioning and necessary transformer station for its surroundings.
After further consideration, I decided to create a combination of several functions. On the left Art1 plot, two apartments for short-term accommodation for wandering writers and artists were created. On the right side, the transformer station is moved underground, and an art chapel is established here. The space beneath these functions is connected by a universal public hall serving small theater groups, public events, and temporary exhibitions. The flat roof functions as a sculptural garden.
The art chapel is conceived as a sculpture at the entrance to the park. In the design, there was an effort to create a quiet, cozy space that evokes a sense of safety. The mass was shaped by carving with one type of tool. The silent structure is characterized by a dominant vertical that aims to attract attention and create a corner of undeveloped and, according to the zoning plan, nonsensically undevelopable area. The vertical is perceivable only from Božena Němcová Street, which is the visual axis from the church of the Sending of the Holy Apostles, while from the other parts of the city it is invisible and non-intrusive. Another dominant feature is the opening—a gate, the entrance to a creative world. The entrance to the art chapel is created by a narrow crack between two objects, which aims to draw the curious individual into its depths.

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