Procedural Cartography of Štvanice Island - Workshop Results
Future, potential, and possibilities of use
Kruh and the prestigious Faculty of Architecture at ETH Zurich are concluding this year a unique collaboration program in the field of architecture, “Swiss-Czech Inspirations”. As part of the joint activities, students from the AVU School of Architecture, guided by landscape architect and ETH Zurich professor Gűnther Vogt, worked on visions for the possible future of Štvanice Island in the context of the entire urban area of Prague. The week-long workshop culminated in a meeting of experts and students at the AVU School of Architecture on Saturday, April 25, attended by Prague 7 municipal councilor for development, architect and historian Lenka Burgerová, landscape architect and delegate of the Institute of Planning and Development of the Capital City of Prague Štěpán Špoula, professor of Fine Arts Academy Emil Přikryl, representative of ETH Zurich Željko Medved, professor Gűnther Vogt from ETH Zurich, and his research assistant David Rademacher.
During the intensive workshop, 12 diverse development, rehabilitation, and utilization concepts for Štvanice Island were created, which many Prague residents see as neglected. Among the proposals was the vision of a lake and a natural swimming area covering most of the island's area. Another concept featured a forest park connected to the right bank of the Vltava River by several foldable bridges, walkways, and service piers. Also inspiring was a proposal utilizing the natural shaping of Štvanice Island by the river and harnessing the natural power of floodwaters or just very subtle interventions. From the rediscovered tradition of Prague markets came the vision of an urban bio-farm and public gardens on the island's area. Throughout the discussions, the question of what public space actually is and its significance was raised. In the words of Professor Vogt, public space is accessible to anyone 24 hours a day, with free sources of drinking water and operates without a system of external control (cameras).
Art and architectural historian Richard Biegel critically pointed out to the students during a guided walk the unfortunate obstruction of urban areas by large volumes of buildings, creating an impermeable riverside barrier stretching from the Convent of St. Agnes to Karlín. The neglect of the river’s existence and its natural connection to urban life leads to a loss of the city's natural relationship with the river. One of the most pressing places is indeed Štvanice Island. Landscape architecture has long been neglected in city planning, and landscape architects, except for a few cases, focused solely on the details of parks and building surroundings without connections to broader landscape contexts and without utilizing existing landscape qualities and their natural elements. The river is a natural element that penetrates the city. It behaves in a certain way that needs to be understood. The shape of the banks, vegetation, speed, and direction of the river’s flow, its changes throughout the year, and characteristic coloration are the results of this behavior. The workshop demonstrated the necessity of asking these questions regarding how they relate to the lives of city inhabitants and what opportunities they may present.
From the workshop, an exhibition is being prepared for the Prague 7 district office, and informational newspapers are being created, which will be freely available there.
Günther Vogt is a renowned landscape architect who contemplates how to bring landscapes back to cities and where the boundary between city and landscape lies. He returns to the roots, focusing more on the relationship to the place than on design. He conducts field research, criticizing its lack in the context of European landscape architecture. He works with models to illustrate the spatial perspective of future users. Vogt Landscape Architects has gained worldwide recognition for its projects, including the modification of the space in front of Tate Modern in London. The largest project is the Novartis Campus Park in Basel, geomorphological and vegetative interpretation of the landscape of the Upper Rhine Valley. The studio collaborates with leading world architects such as the duo Herzog & de Meuron or David Chipperfield.
Günther Vogt (*1957, Balzers), professor of landscape architecture at ETH Zurich, was awarded the Meret Oppenheim Prize in 2012 – as the first landscape architect – dedicated to Swiss artists.
More information >
During the intensive workshop, 12 diverse development, rehabilitation, and utilization concepts for Štvanice Island were created, which many Prague residents see as neglected. Among the proposals was the vision of a lake and a natural swimming area covering most of the island's area. Another concept featured a forest park connected to the right bank of the Vltava River by several foldable bridges, walkways, and service piers. Also inspiring was a proposal utilizing the natural shaping of Štvanice Island by the river and harnessing the natural power of floodwaters or just very subtle interventions. From the rediscovered tradition of Prague markets came the vision of an urban bio-farm and public gardens on the island's area. Throughout the discussions, the question of what public space actually is and its significance was raised. In the words of Professor Vogt, public space is accessible to anyone 24 hours a day, with free sources of drinking water and operates without a system of external control (cameras).
Art and architectural historian Richard Biegel critically pointed out to the students during a guided walk the unfortunate obstruction of urban areas by large volumes of buildings, creating an impermeable riverside barrier stretching from the Convent of St. Agnes to Karlín. The neglect of the river’s existence and its natural connection to urban life leads to a loss of the city's natural relationship with the river. One of the most pressing places is indeed Štvanice Island. Landscape architecture has long been neglected in city planning, and landscape architects, except for a few cases, focused solely on the details of parks and building surroundings without connections to broader landscape contexts and without utilizing existing landscape qualities and their natural elements. The river is a natural element that penetrates the city. It behaves in a certain way that needs to be understood. The shape of the banks, vegetation, speed, and direction of the river’s flow, its changes throughout the year, and characteristic coloration are the results of this behavior. The workshop demonstrated the necessity of asking these questions regarding how they relate to the lives of city inhabitants and what opportunities they may present.
From the workshop, an exhibition is being prepared for the Prague 7 district office, and informational newspapers are being created, which will be freely available there.
Günther Vogt is a renowned landscape architect who contemplates how to bring landscapes back to cities and where the boundary between city and landscape lies. He returns to the roots, focusing more on the relationship to the place than on design. He conducts field research, criticizing its lack in the context of European landscape architecture. He works with models to illustrate the spatial perspective of future users. Vogt Landscape Architects has gained worldwide recognition for its projects, including the modification of the space in front of Tate Modern in London. The largest project is the Novartis Campus Park in Basel, geomorphological and vegetative interpretation of the landscape of the Upper Rhine Valley. The studio collaborates with leading world architects such as the duo Herzog & de Meuron or David Chipperfield.
Günther Vogt (*1957, Balzers), professor of landscape architecture at ETH Zurich, was awarded the Meret Oppenheim Prize in 2012 – as the first landscape architect – dedicated to Swiss artists.
More information >
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