Cycle of discussion seminars "River in the City" in Plzeň

The earth mound by the Radbuza River near the church of U Ježíška under the Mikulášské náměstí in Plzeň (http://www.mapy.cz/s/8kOh) is coming alive again after a month. While in July the mound transformed into a meeting, rest, and entertainment place thanks to the participants of the summer work camp "Foster the City" in just one week, from late August to the end of September, a container will be placed at its peak, which will serve as a background for a series of discussion seminars on rivers and embankments, as well as other cultural events.

"The seminars organized as part of the Foster the City program by Plzeň 2015 will showcase the best examples from the Czech Republic over five Tuesday evenings, where architectural modifications or community activities have managed to bring the river closer to the city’s inhabitants, making it a center of urban life. There will also be inspiring and yet unrealized projects," says one of the program's authors, Marek Sivák.

"We will gradually focus on the transformation of the Santos Island in Sušice, the river as an increasingly important phenomenon of urban life in Prague, the collaboration of the town of Litomyšl, its inhabitants, and the non-profit sector to revitalize the Loučná River, and the various forms of the Maxipes Fík embankment in Kadaň. The series will also include a seminar dedicated to the present and future of Plzeň's rivers," adds another author of the series, Petr Klíma. Each evening will present a specific case from several perspectives - representatives of the city and its organizations, civic initiatives and foundations, and architects. "Indeed, cooperation between citizens, architects, and the city is the leitmotif of the entire series. Our goal is also to ignite a discussion in Plzeň about the use of rivers in the city," adds Marek Sivák.

The cycle will conclude on Friday, September 27, with a lecture on saunas and a sauna event by the Radbuza River. The same location will also host two concerts - on September 13, a Concert for Volunteers, and on September 19, a Cycle Concert as a conclusion to the Great Plzeň Autumn Bike Ride.

Following the seminar cycle, there will be a special call within the Foster the City program titled River in the City, under which anyone can contribute an idea or activity aimed at revitalizing and improving Plzeň's rivers and the related public space. More information is available on the website: http://www.verejnyprostorvplzni.cz/pp/



27 08 / 19.00
River in the City: SUŠICE / Transformation of Santos Island
/ Pavel Šimek / Florart studio / landscape architect, author of the design
/ Lenka Jandová / town of Sušice / project coordinator
/ Karla Kupilíková / Jolana Říhová / Proměny Foundation / project support

03 09 / 19.00
River in the City: PRAGUE / River as the axis of urban life
/ Vladimír Fialka / Public Space Office of the Development Department of Prague / urban planner
/ Petr Janda / Brainwork studio / architect, author of the (A)VOID floating project
/ Michal Volf / Andrea Jašková / Ondřej Lipenský / architects, authors of the floating swimming pool design for Prague
/ Petr Pištěk / Architectural Institute in Prague (ARCHIP) / Vice-Rector, architect, co-organizer of the international idea competition Bridging Prague

10 09 / 19.00
River in the City: LITOMYŠL / A joint journey of the town and its inhabitants to revive the Loučná River
/ authors of the awarded entries in the architectural competition
/ Zdeňka Vydrová / town of Litomyšl / city architect
/ Marcela Boštíková / civic association Generace 89 / initiator of the proposal
/ Karla Kupilíková / Petra Hrubošová / Proměny Foundation / project support

13 09 / 17.30
Concert for Volunteers
/ musical afternoon for the general public and the Guardian Angels of the European Capital of Culture Plzeň 2015
/ Cheers! / folk-punk / Plzeň
/ Lakuna / alternative / Plzeň

17 09 / 19.00
River in the City: PLZEŇ / Present and future of Plzeň's rivers
/ Pavlína Valentová / Department of Concept and Development of the city of Plzeň / landscape engineer
/ Daniel Němeček / AS Projekt studio / architect, author of the river embankment revitalization project in Štruncovy sady
/ Václav Ulč / AVE architects / architect, co-author of the territorial study of the Radbuza embankment
/ Jakub Mareš / civic association k světu. / architect
/ David Šlesinger / Hradiště Swimming Pool / operator, member of Sokole Hradiště

19 09 / approx. 18.30
Cycle Concert
/ Afterparty after the Great Plzeň Autumn Bike Ride / organized by the Plzeň on bike initiative as part of European Mobility Week

24 09 / 19.00
River in the City: KADAŇ / Various forms of the Maxipes Fík embankment
/ Jiří Kulhánek / town of Kadaň / mayor
/ Michal Fišer / association of architects Třiarchitekti / architect, co-author of the design
/ Štěpán Špoula / landscape architect, co-author of the design
/ Petr Lešek / Projektil architects / architect, co-author of the design
/ Petr Uhlík / Uhlík architects / architect, co-author of the design

27 09 / 17.30
River in the City: Sauna as a passion / Lecture and sauna event
/ Vít Šimek / H3T studio / architect