The Line | AARH Architectural Studio

Multi-purpose building, Vítězné Square, Prague 6, Czech Republic - Competition, First Prize / 2010
The design for a building to complete a block on Vítězné Square is based on the planning concept made for the square by Prof. Antonín Engel in the 1920s. Two types of monumental buildings surround the place: square bulks and concave blocks. Only one of the latter has ever been built: the General Staff of the Armed Forces, situated across from our design. We see it as natural to design the square-facing bulk as a concave one, making soft arc transitions to the adjacent streets, where it links to existing development. The facade employs a simple system of contour line lamellas, which become the formative medium for the building shape and the surrounding space, and their routing follows the principles of Engel’s master plan: eaves elevation, the principal eaves line of the square, the roof ridge height, the accentuated corners, etc. This results in sculpturally rich and dynamic form with a modern architectural face of a multipurpose metropolitan palace with a lively, user-friendly street level. The facade transparency as well as the LED animation will help liven up the somewhat bleak place in the evenings.