Landscape Festival Prague 2014 - invitation

term/ June 18 – September 9, 2014
location/ Žižkov Freight Station, courtyard of the Bethlehem Chapel

patron/Mayor of Prague Tomáš Hudeček

Landscape architecture has not yet received the attention it deserves. This project is intended to be a form of enlightenment and an interdisciplinary dialogue involving not only Czech, but also international experts. A large number of volunteers and university students from across the Czech Republic, where classes on landscape architecture are held, will be involved in the project. The organizers aim to revitalize the cultural heritage site of Žižkov Freight Station during the summer months, a place that may seem forgotten but has enormous potential for the future.

idea/
The quality of landscape architecture is often expressed through the improvement of the quality of life, which is difficult to document. It is not just about projects, but often a long-term process. For this reason, it is necessary to talk about a long-term strategy within the planning of the development of Czech towns and municipalities.
The aim is to raise awareness among the Czech architectural and urban planning community about the scope and significance of the field of landscape architecture in relation to contemporary architecture and public space.
The festival will present exemplary cases of primarily European landscape architecture that could also be implemented in the Czech Republic in the future. In Prague and throughout the Czech Republic, there are places with great potential, and within this festival, the organizers would like to draw attention to them and initiate their transformation.
The organizers have received support from the Municipal District of Prague 3, which is an important factor in the revitalization of the Žižkov Freight Station complex, which will undergo major transformation in the coming years, similar to the Vítkovice area.
This landscape festival will be a continuation of the series of cultural festivals at NNZ, which took place in 2013 – Prague Biennale 6 and Designblok 2013. For this reason, the organizers have included a section on the revitalization of industrial sites in Germany /Second-Hand Landscapes/, which are examples of the dialogue between contemporary architecture and historical heritage and particularly creativity for the future use of such extensive urban public areas.

In the Czech Republic, especially in Prague, a debate has begun on how to cultivate public space long-term involving architects, artists, the public sector, and the political establishment. The organizers of this project would like to expand it to include the "green or landscape" segment, which has a somewhat unique diversified aesthetic, although it often does not concern only flora.
A very important moment is the cooperation and co-realization by multiple entities from various artistic and social fields. The goal of this disciplinary dialogue should primarily be the meeting and debate on how to approach this important segment of public space in the Czech Republic with current insights and how to enable its wider application within urban development of towns and villages.
The project at the Žižkov Freight Station is being organized and conceptually supported by the civic association 4dim, which prepared the guerrilla – industrial – festival project. 4dim is also collaborating on the publication of a companion book (details at the end of the project description).
The second, very important partner of the project is the Faculty of Architecture at CTU and its new Institute of Garden and Landscape Architecture led by leading Czech landscape architect Vladimír Sitta.
   
organizers/
Architectura - Jaroslav Fragner Gallery
Municipal District of Prague 3

guarantors/
Vladimír Sitta, FA CTU Prague
Kurt Gebauer, AAAD Prague
Dan Merta, GJF

with the support of/
Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic
State Fund for Culture
City of Prague
Czech Architecture Foundation

in cooperation with/
Czech Centers, Austrian Cultural Institute, Goethe Institute, Norwegian Embassy, Dutch Embassy, Romanian Embassy, Slovak Institute,
resite, envirocity, junior club, foundation for transformation, automat, ipr, CTU, Society for Garden and Landscape Creation, Danish Embassy, Agricultural University in Prague, Mendel Agricultural and Forestry University Brno, k2,

general partner/
Czech Railways

main partner/
ctp, mmcité

partners/
Cigler Marani Architects, Poultry Farm Klatovy, Facility Group, Halla,
dnv-gl, Sekyra Group, Garden Architecture Course s.r.o., Tilia-Garden, Cargo, Arboeko, Brewery Rohozec, Arboeko, Green Home, Brtek,

gallery partners/
Halla, Aedes Project, Schüco, Cegra, Prague 1

main media partner/
Public Transport Company

media partners/
Construction Forum, estate, designmag, architect, archiweb, earch, radio 1, art map, A2, rail reklam, era 21, designcabinetcz


project schedule/

June 17/ ceremonial opening at Žižkov Freight Station
- with the participation of the Mayor of Prague
- musical performances/Květy, Lesní věř, Megaphone, Swamp Safari Sound system

June 24/Dutch evening
- lecture/Ludowjik Baljon
- launch of the publication Czech Scape/portrait of Czech landscape architecture
- music/when we are wild

July, August/presentation
- will be specified

September 1 – 8/ lecture and debate cycle /dates to be specified
- Žižkov Freight Station now/ debate with representatives of organizations that are signatories
of the Memorandum on the Future of NNZ, moderated by Adam Gebrian
- The Public Space of the Municipal District of Prague 3 in relation to Greater Prague/
debate involving representatives from Prague 3, the Office of Public Space, and the Society for Garden and Landscape Creation
- evening events within the Eunic Landscape Architecture exhibition /
schedule will be specified
- Robin Winogrond landscape architects /CH
presentation of the Lausanne Jardins 2014 project/CH
- Mayslits Kalif Architects/IZ
- SCHØNHERR/DK
- OMGEVING/BE
- AllesWirgGut/A
- landscape studios from Norway and Germany

September 9/festival conclusion
- musical production/Junior Club as part of the Žižkov Heritage Days
We Are Home, Tony Ducháček & Garage


1/EXHIBITIONS

A/
czech scape / GJF
analysis, historical excursion, current state/   
The CZECHSCAPE exhibition presents a selection of landscape architecture projects and achievements in the field of public space in the Czech Republic. It gently encourages reflection on the current time when landscape architecture is gradually rising in the Czech Republic, and when it is appropriate to compare its results with the most advanced countries in the field in Europe.

B/
Eunic Landscape Architecture/NNŽ
The exhibition presents 36 implemented projects from 18 European countries, examples of new approaches to solving, perceiving, and using human-transformed environments: recultivation, rehabilitation of abandoned parts of the landscape or industrial areas, urbanization of neglected urban public spaces - all for new, mainly recreational functions and sports opportunities, for socializing, culture, and education.

C/
Second-Hand Landscapes
The exhibition and catalog present inspirational examples from Germany addressing the possibilities of implementing proven and functional approaches into the Czech environment. The exhibition is conceived to ensure that the examples presented are inspirational and applicable for the region of the Czech Republic. The exhibited projects are meant to serve as models for current possibilities of revitalizing areas with former industrial use.

D/
Landscape architects NOW!
The Landscape architects NOW! exhibition presents projects by both domestic and foreign landscape architects from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The authors of the exhibition aim to primarily highlight the theme of landscape architecture and its creators.


2/PRESENTATIONS AND PROJECTS/

- Municipal District of Prague 3
presentation of projects concerning adjustments to public space in the Municipal District of Prague 3

- Office of Public Space IPR Prague
manual for public space

- Foundation for Transformation/ Transformation of Santos Island
The installation by the Foundation for Transformation and sculptor Václav Fiala represents a project for the restoration of a forest park on a river island in Sušice realized according to the design of the Florart studio in 2013. The motto of the project was: “Cross the river. Listen to the silence. Watch the sky. Sit in the grass. Welcome the paddlers.”

- Automat
Vision Prague 2025 is a new document initiated by Auto*Mat representing Prague in 2025 as a functioning city where the demands for sustainable transport, economic development, quality public space, and a healthy environment are aligned.

- Presentation of student projects
Institute of Garden and Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague; Department of Garden and Landscape Architecture FAPPZ, Czech Agricultural University in Prague; Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University in Brno

- EnviroCity
EnviroCity in collaboration with the Landscape Festival Prague will revitalize the industrial spaces of Žižkov Freight Station with a series of debates, presentations, and artistic performances. The festival is prepared by the civic association Collaborative Collective and its center will be the environmental pavilion Loop.

- Sekyra Group
development project on the site of Žižkov Freight Station and Rohanský Island

3/
LANDSCAPE AND ART INSTALLATIONS/ land art site specific at NNZ/
Invited artists and landscape architects created special installations for the location of Žižkov Freight Station

Archwerk
Václav Fiala
Kurt Gebauer
Martina Forejtová+Jana Pyšková
Lenka Klodová
Kokoza
Na hranici - Grenznah
Partero
Prazelenina
Vladimír Sitta
Dagmar Šubrtová
Eva Wagnerová
Ateliér 4 dim

4/
GUERILLA – Urban Gardening
series of lectures/workshops/interventions

. creating a space for people with similar interests and activities to meet
. educating both the general and professional public
. supporting natural cooperation between institutions and associations engaged in similar activities
. expert lectures and presentations of projects
. thematic workshops
. revitalizing the space with seasonal plantings

More information >