Rients Dijkstra (Maxwan): Ostrava is a dynamic place

Rients Dijkstra

Ostrava - Architects from the Dutch studio Maxwan consider Ostrava to be a dynamic place with immense potential, which won the international urban planning competition for the future design of the Černá louka exhibition area. The transformation of this area into a new urban district that connects cultural and educational institutions with housing is a key project, with which Ostrava is vying for the title of European Capital of Culture 2015. Architect Rients Dijkstra told reporters today that Ostrava is unique and has much to offer Europe.
   "When culture exists in a place that remains the same, it does not change and tends to stagnate. For culture to develop and change, it needs a dynamic place like Ostrava," Dijkstra stated.
    He added that this is precisely why he considers Ostrava to be an ideal candidate for the European Capital of Culture 2015.
    "Ostrava is a dynamically changing area that is transforming from an industrial city into a cultural city," the architect believes. According to the representatives of the architectural studio, the winning design was created in about a month, inspired by Ostrava itself and its mining history. "When we learned about the assignment, it was a very captivating and interesting place for us," said another of the designers, Hiroki Matsura, noting that he was also attracted by the fact that the entire project has high ambitions. "That's crucial for us if we want to take on the project," Matsura explained. The studio will now further develop their proposal in detail.

Adam Gebrian

According to architect Adam Gebrian, who is the author of the conceptual design for the transformation of Černá louka, one of the greatest contributions of the Maxwan proposal is its approach to public space. Maxwan developed a project in which a park surrounded by buildings is part of the area, creating a sort of horseshoe around the central space. "The heart of the design is the public space, which is fed like arteries, which are the streets or the river, and then there are the auxiliary organs and intestines that surround it, and the food swims in that, and the individual buildings are in it," Gebrian believes.
    He added that the transformation of Černá louka itself could also help Czech architecture. In the future, there are plans to announce architectural competitions, the number of which could be around ten, which experts say is similar to the number of competitions conducted in the Czech Republic each year.
    The architects will present their proposal on Tuesday to a panel of four commissioners who will arrive in the city the day before the final decision on which city will ultimately represent the Czech Republic, whether Ostrava or Plzeň.
    The Dutch urban planning office Maxwan was established in 1994. Its first commission and also realization was a design for the newly emerging Dutch city of Leidsche Rijn on the outskirts of Utrecht. In 2004, Maxwan's chief Dijkstra was appointed as one of London’s mayoral advisors for new city development. Maxwan has won many urban planning competitions and focuses specifically on the urbanism of city districts.