Multipurpose 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.