In Brno, a model of the new district Trnitá is being created

Brno – In the 3D studio of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Brno University of Technology, a model of the new Trnitá district is being created on an area of 12 square meters. At a scale of 1:500, it encompasses a two-kilometer long and one and a half kilometer wide area, featuring hundreds of buildings, over 2,000 trees, railway and tram lines, as well as the Svratka River. It will also serve in the competition for the design of the main train station, said Michal Sedláček, director of the Office of the City Architect of Brno (KAM), which is collaborating on the model.

A miniature measuring three by four meters is being produced by three people. The challenge lies primarily in the large amount of data that needs to be processed. They subsequently combine two technologies: CNC machining for the terrain and 3D printing for the buildings. "In one process, you remove material, and in another, you add it in thin layers. In digital sculpting, it is common for us to create large objects that consist of multiple parts and must fit together. However, in this case, the precision we work with is extraordinary; everything must be hand-sanded and adjusted afterward," described Tomáš Medek, head of the 3D studio.

About half of it is now complete. The model already features, for example, the Az Tower, which took 20 hours to print, while structures like the Rondo hall or Petrov are still missing. The white parts are those that already exist in the area, while the wooden ones can be removed and changed based on future developments in the locality. The model is expected to be complete by early June, costing 1.8 million crowns. The materials used include resin boards, known as artificial wood, as well as alder wood and thermoplastics.

In the coming months, the model will be used by the expert jury of the international competition for the design of the new main train station. "The competing teams will directly insert their proposed buildings of the new main station along with the accompanying public space, which will thus be possible to evaluate from above and within the context of the entire area. It will also be useful in further discussions regarding plans for the new Trnitá district," said Sedláček.

The international competition for the new main train station continued in early March with a meeting of the expert jury, which assessed proposals from 12 participants. Four of them will proceed to the next round. However, the jury does not know who specifically is behind these proposals. "The narrowing of participants now needs to be approved by the clients, who are the Railway Administration and the city of Brno. After that, the competition will proceed to the second phase. The four selected teams will refine their proposals in greater detail, which will also include the production of an insert model of the station building and the relevant area. We will know the winner of the competition in the summer. All proposals will be presented to the public at a large exhibition in the fall," added Sedláček.

To ensure that the model can serve for further public discussions regarding the new Trnitá district and accompanying competitions in the area in the following years, it will be able to be disassembled into twelve parts that can be easily transported. KAM is seeking a suitable location for it in the future, which would be used to promote the entire district. A similar model of the area already exists but no longer meets technical standards and has become worn out due to relocation.