Experts proposed 58 variables of problematic areas in Ostrava

Ostrava - Architects, builders, artists, and students presented a total of 58 proposals for transforming certain places in Ostrava in the non-profit project City Interventions Ostrava 2013, which they believe need change. Nearly a hundred citizens also contributed ideas to the project. This was announced today to reporters by Jiří Stejskalík, a member of the project's artistic council and an architect.
    The aim of the project was to highlight problematic areas in the city and also propose possible solutions. People can view the proposals at the Multi-genre Center Cooltour. The exhibited works most often concern the city center, particularly Masaryk Square, Frýdlant Bridges, and the Nová Karolina shopping center. The ideas for public space adjustments vary. Among the proposals are, for example, a marketplace in the central square, showers on the sunny areas by the Ostravice River, a café in Bělský Forest, as well as beautifying the Sýkora Bridge with planters of live flowers, the creation of a multifunctional stage in Masaryk Square that could be used for sports, cultural, and social activities, or directly constructing a swimming pool in this central area of the city.
    "We were curious about what people would come up with. And we look forward to how new horizons will open and change perceptions of Ostrava, which is no longer black," said Vendula Šafářová, a member of the artistic council. According to her, the authors submitted twice as many proposals for the City Interventions as originally expected, as the organizers anticipated that around 30 proposals would be created.
    The number of registered proposals was also appreciated by Cyril Vltavský, the chief architect of Ostrava, who does not rule out that some projects might be realized. "If there are interesting proposals among the interventions that require, for example, subsequent documentation for building permits, that can be obtained and paid for by the city. The authors would then be part of the design team, should they agree," Vltavský stated.
    The exhibition of proposals will be located at Cooltour until the end of January, after which it will move to the premises of the New Town Hall. Author presentations are also planned for January. The Ostrava City Interventions are the seventh project of its kind in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The idea was conceived by architects Matúš Vallo and Oliver Sadovský, who conducted a pilot project in 2008 in Bratislava. Both will give a lecture in Ostrava in January.