Řememysl

CTU in Prague - Faculty of Architecture

Project idea

Litomyšl is a city with a strong cultural focus, deeply appreciating art and architecture. It hosts numerous art, music, sculpture, and architecture exhibitions throughout the year. As a result, establishing workshops to support these events and providing accommodation for both the public and specialized artisans has become a priority.

The city is also home to the Faculty of Restoration at the University of Pardubice. Leveraging this resource, we proposed expanding the faculty to include a new program in furniture and wood restoration, a field currently absent from higher education in the Czech Republic.

Our design proposal centers on the existing railway axis, serving as the foundational element for both buildings and pedestrian areas. The design emphasizes flexibility and versatility, incorporating mobile workshops that can be rearranged to create a variety of spaces and atmospheres, such as Christmas markets, woodcarving workshops, or ice skating rinks. Placing these small mobile workshops outdoors will infuse the area with energy and vitality.

Project description

The centerpiece of the project is a roof structure that offers a versatile space that can be manipulated. Outdoor workshops are designed that can be unfolded and moved, and the space also serves students living in the dormitory opposite. Events and workshops can be held here in the summer. The proposal is located right next to the Litomyšl train station. Our project thus forms a kind of gateway to the city, a gateway to the city of culture, and leads you along the continuation of the railway track via a pink line through the area, where you encounter various atmospheres such as studying, working, entertainment, and skateparks.

The former granary provides rental accommodation not only for young couples but also for craftsmen and artists, teachers who come to the city to create. The reconstruction of the originally industrial building offers a unique experience with its industrial look, exposed steel structures, and high windows. The granary houses several apartments, and two floors are equipped with above-standard lofts. The attic space of the granary is also accessible to tenants, creating a space for strengthening the community of young people and having a good time. A café is designed on the ground floor of the granary, which is accessible from the pedestrian zone of the Řememysl area.

The expansion of the Faculty of Restoration is an essential part of our project. The creation of a modern and open space for students and artists in the field of wood restoration with the possibility of working both indoors and outdoors clearly defines both the interior and exterior. The connection of the university on the second floor and thus the creation of an imitation tunnel strengthens the axis of the tracks, which we symbolically return to the plot.

The project also includes a dormitory for high school students, which contributes to the integration of the younger generation into city life. Řememysl combines modern education, community activities, and the renovation of historical structures, thus strengthening the cultural and social ties in the city.

The clubroom becomes the heart of the project, offering residents of the city a multifunctional space for cultural events, workshop activities, and exhibitions. At the same time, it respects and preserves the historical character of the heating plant, thus providing the residents of Litomyšl with a unique place for meeting and sharing interests. The former heating plant also serves as a bakery not only for students and craftsmen but also for train passengers.

In this way, Řememysl becomes not only a center of education and activity for the younger generation but also a key element in revitalizing and strengthening the social life of the city.

Technical information

Each building is made of a different material. Longer term buildings are made of reinforced concrete with durable ventilated facades. The university uses concrete skin for the facade and the high school dormitories use corrugated metal. The existing buildings are preserved and only subtly renovated. The main focal point of the project is the sheltered public space of the workshops, which is constructed of steel and provides shelter from rain and direct light. The community workshop building is constructed of lightweight steel and the openings are filled with polycarbonate. Its construction is lightweight and inexpensive for quick construction and need for subsequent dismantling and repair. The mobile work cells which are located under the covered public space are made of wooden structure and panels. They could be quickly built and easily recycled and transported.