Students of FA ČVUT will construct a tower in Libčice near Prague

Students of the Hlaváček – Čeněk studio at the Faculty of Architecture CTU will join the nationwide event "Let's Clean the World, Let's Clean the Czech Republic" this weekend. They will start the project by cleaning Cihelka Park, which they will take to realization with their own hands, building an observation tower for the residents of Libčice by June. The project is realized with the support of Skanska Reality a.s. and the residential project Park Cihelka.

The assignment was for a small structure for fun and relaxation in the area of the future residential Park Cihelka. This is how they will refer to the terraced slopes by the Vltava River in Libčice, where clay was mined for the Fischer family's brickworks since the late 19th century. The student building will be the first step from the currently neglected place to the future park.

The fame of the Libčice brickmakers, who besides brick production specialized in building factory chimneys, of which they constructed more than 1000 in Bohemia, inspired the author of the observation mast, Kristýna Rejsková. It was her design that was selected for realization by the studio's educators, representatives of Skanska Reality, and the deputy mayor of Libčice, Vít Penížek from a total of 9 student concepts.

The mast will be located in an elevated position in the heart of the park, its shape will communicate with the Libčice chimneys, and its construction will reference the brickmaking history of the area. It will be possible to climb the mast via a spiral staircase, and a flag of the town will be placed on it.

The construction in Libčice follows the cozy shelters for the Krkonošsko National Park, which the students of the Institute of Design II completed this winter, making it another in a series of design-build projects that allow students to experience the entire process of a building’s creation from design to realization within one semester. Future architects gain experience thanks to support from "investors" such as the Administration of KRNAP, the Prague 6 municipality, or Skanska Reality, as well as through consultations with other professions, craftsmen, and suppliers.

Collaboration within CTU is valuable, and the statics of the project in Libčice are being handled by students with František Denek from the Department of Mechanics at the Faculty of Civil Engineering. Professional knowledge regarding wooden constructions and building is provided by Jaromír Jiruška from Dřevostavby Biskup. The project has also managed to involve graphic design students from the private higher vocational school of visual communication Scholastika, who, under the guidance of Matěj Činčera and Jan Kloss, will create a visual style for the final exhibition and publication.

Currently, students are completing the project documentation and beginning negotiations with suppliers, with construction set to start in Libčice after Easter. The project can be followed on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/libove_libcice and on the website www.libovelibcice.cz.


The project for realization was selected from a total of 9 proposals:
MAST (author Kristýna Rejsková) – selected proposal
In an elevated position in the heart of the park rises the point - mast - observation tower, visible from everywhere. Its shape converses with the Libčice chimneys, and its construction references the brickmaking history.

FIREPLACE (author Sylvie Tesková)
A fireplace on a hill, in the very center of the park, serves as an initiation and orientation point for the town of Libčice. The small construction offers use for a wide area - passing by pedestrians, groups on a trip, and the whole community.

PERISCOPE (author Anna Vopařilová)
An observation point, a sitting area, a viewing place. A spot where even the smallest can observe their surroundings from a height. How? With a periscope! #evenwhenit rains

HIDDEN VIEW (author Lenka Lenčéšová)
I am hidden on a spur among the trees. I will lead you to a viewpoint of the Větrušice gorge. #evenwhenit rains ☼☼☼

SHELL (author Jana Sedlická)
A shell as a refuge for the community, a safe place that, due to its shape and material, belongs both to nature and humanity. The structure is made of local rammed earth and rises in the shape of a golden spiral. This place serves nature as a sculpture and humans as a place to sit with a living staircase and a viewpoint.

SPIRAL (author Adam Hofman)
The spiral, located on a terrain spur, responds to the basic needs of a park visitor. It offers • a shelter, enriched with a play of light penetrating through wooden slats, • a view, as a reward for climbing the spiral stairs, • a rest, in a net stretched under the sky.

BRICK RIBBON (author Filip Hutera)
A ribbon, connecting the history of the place with the present. A ribbon, uniting nature, the park in one. Unification and elevation of the place and locality within one whole.

BRACKET (author Kryštof Vicherek)
One object, a sculpture drawing attention. The bracket positioned perpendicular to the terraces highlights the view of Libčice and the opposite bank of the Vltava, to which it also faces. From a distance, it appears as one object in space, which reveals its construction upon closer inspection and becomes more comprehensible.

FIREPLACE "AT CIHELKA" (author Tereza Čechová)
A frame, viewpoint, fire. A connection.

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