| competition: | 2023 |
| design: | Adam, Ondra |
| location: | Park na Karlově |
Artwork for Park na Karlově
Jury Statement
“The jury appreciated this modest and subtle proposal, which works with a mimetic aesthetic concealing the artistic and architectural nature of the intervention at the edge of legibility. The resulting work blends into its surroundings, particularly through its well-observed connection to the kind of technical clutter whose presence in public space we have become so accustomed to that we barely notice it. The symbolism of working at the boundary of civility is made tangible through a colour accent that communicates with the icons of monumental sculpture.
The jury, however, considered the gesture of ‘strengthening the weak point’ of the site debatable, along with concerns arising from the building’s boundary condition with a property outside the district’s administration and the safety principles of the work. We are aware that these aspects could be resolved, but nevertheless decided in favour of differently conceived proposals. We hope, however, that the authors will continue to develop this way of thinking and perhaps realise it on another occasion.”
We would like to thank the competition organisers @crea_tura.studio and @mc_praha2, as well as the jury. We greatly appreciate the effort the jury put into providing extensive comments on all the competition entries, but we do not understand why no prizes were awarded.
Annotation
The ladder as a provocative device for sparking dialogue between layers of time and space, and above all, between people. Where is the boundary between public and private?
The character of the park balances between romantic history and rational present-day reality. This dichotomy is embodied by an ordinary object that unintentionally offers the possibility of an extraordinary experience. A transformer station stands at the point where the bastion wall once changed direction, on the site of a former fortification tower and at the point of two entrances to the park. Despite its seemingly utilitarian “secondary” nature, its position makes it a central point of the park.
The intention to climb onto the roof of the transformer station is undoubtedly questionable. Yet the feeling of freedom, excitement and tension that comes with the forbidden drew us to the place as well.
The transformer station could mean something more. In the future, its roof could be partially reconstructed and transformed into a terrace, and if the transformer station itself is no longer needed, the building could be repurposed for public use within the park. Until then, this object will both restrict and attract.