JFK 2010 - third place in the urbanism category

The city of Plzeň lies at the confluence of four rivers. The River Radbuza, which flows directly through the center of Plzeň, has significantly influenced its character and urbanism. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, its flow looked different than it does today; the Mill Stream flowing through Šafaříkovy Sady allowed for the river's integration into urban life. Currently, however, the phenomenon of the river in the city is almost ignored, the riverbank in the center of Plzeň is poorly accessible and unused, and the river in the center acts more as a barrier than as a fully-fledged part of the city. The space of the English waterfront (currently a poorly functioning public space) located in close proximity to the historic core of the city, the River Radbuza, and the beginning of the city's peripheral area, is an ideal space to emphasize the phenomenon of the river and its significance in the city.
This project therefore creates a space connecting to the existing peaceful and cultural zone of the city of Plzeň (park circuit, etc.), which will allow residents direct access to the river and its active integration into urban life. My goal was to design a building here that would function as a passage - a gateway, for the city to enter the river and the river to enter the city, and which would connect on one side the bustling part of the city - Americká třída, and on the other side the quiet historical core and the park circuit with the phenomenon of the river. The form of the building is therefore very simple, clear, and its orientation reacts to the character of the surroundings. A smooth transition between the city and the river is created by stairs, from which entry directly into the building is also allowed. The building itself then functions as a public education center focused on visual arts, connected to a gallery located in the center of the building. Its function thus again strives to enhance the character of the historical center of the city, connect to the line of public cultural buildings that border the park circuit (e.g.: West Bohemian Museum, Municipal Library...) and by creating an interactive surface on the façade as part of the gallery, also utilize the large space of the staircase in front of the building.
The layout of the building primarily responds to the passage to the river, which was a priority for me in this project. I aimed for the greatest possible connection of the building with the staircase space to enliven this area as much as possible. The main entrances are located in the southern part of the building oriented towards Americká třída, while in the northern part there is only an entrance to the information center, and access to the river is then concluded on this side by a café placed as a counterpoint to the main entrances. The building is based on two cores due to the character of the passage; in the central space between them, which aims to maximize the potential of the passage, I placed a gallery on almost all above-ground floors (an atrium with a view of the stairs leading to the river is created here) and on the first floor, a glazed café. The gallery itself should primarily serve for the presentation of works from individual studios and for confrontation with the work of professional artists. In the remaining two parts of the building, I endeavored to place individual studios and classrooms, with shops on the ground floor, and on the last above-ground floor, there is a bar in the northern part and a study library in the southern part. The simple form of the building is enlivened in the southern part by openings functioning as terraces, whose placement better integrates the building into the bustling Americká třída, and which can serve as part of the studio and additional space for creation.
The load-bearing structure of the building is monolithic reinforced concrete wall (a steel Vierendeel beam is designed above the passage in the second floor). The façade is designed as a protruding perforated concrete sheath, which preserves the cohesive form of the building and thus creates an interesting play with light in the interior of the structure.