Modřice Reconstruction - Museum, Library, and Infocenter

New cultural and social center Modřice. The townhouse with its extensive history gets a new touch. The interior is cleaned of insensitive additions and adapted to the needs of museums, exhibition space, information center, and café. The appearance of the townhouse remains almost intact. The current layer is added to the extensive structural history. Opposite to the museum we propose a new volume of a library, which through the public court creates a dialogue with the museum. The museum is connected to the library and at the same time functionally separated by two covered passages, entrances to the courtyard. The library opens into the courtyard, communicating with the street through two large openings through which passers-by enter the courtyard. The two-story mass is slightly displaced and invites to explore the court and enter the building. We create a clear contrast between the historical and new parts of the object. The new part of the building completes the building and embraces the space of the yard. The extension refers to today's enclosure of the courtyard walls, without the ambition to draw attention from the historical part of the house, but also does not give up on the effort to add an element of contemporary architecture to the building.

The proposal - to the greatest extent - met the criteria, other requirements of the assignment as much as possible and also fulfilled the expectations of the contracting authority. The proposal is based on the historical context of a closed court, which complements the construction of the current character and links the individual historical layers into one whole. It follows the genius loci of the closed mass of the original buildings and preserves the original historical street line. Contemporary elements, such as the generous connecting window, emphasize the openness of the building and institutions to citizens. The yard is permeable from several sides and streets, a safe community meeting place is assumed. The original historical and new proposed are sensitively linked. Recommendations of the jury - it is expected that the competition proposal will be finalized in a study with the contracting authority, affected authorities and valid land-use planning documentation. Furthermore, the jury recommends: elaborating the yard solution, considering the location of depositories and research rooms on the first floor and exhibition space in the basement, considering the construction design, or trying to better adapt to the surrounding buildings, and work with the character of plaster.

For the reconstruction and adaptation of the building, we choose the principle of the contrast of new and old, the principle of insertion. We clean the Baroque building for its structural beauty. We repair or replicate the original details. We insert new entrances into existing structures using separate blocks that minimize interference with existing structures. Modřice has a minimum of preserved historical buildings. Therefore, we find it important to approach the design sensitively in an effort to preserve the historical value of one of the last surviving buildings.

The proposal met - to a very high degree - the criteria, other requirements of the assignment and also fulfilled the contracting authority's expectations. The proposal reflects a historical background and past. The layout is simple and well-balanced and integrates well individual functions into a whole. The new object of the library is conceived in a conservative spirit. All buildings are connected by pitched roofs in one material. The courtyard offers a pleasant stay of a rural character. Jury recommendation: To incorporate the concept of an important institution and the current approach into the proposal. Interconnect individual floors barrier-free. Advanced library entry. Consider the lighting of important areas (library, lecture hall) - just the roof skylights are not convincing enough. Without high-quality construction details and interior design, the design of the building can be trivial.

The design of the public cultural center is guided by the vision and idea of providing a link between visitors and citizens of Modřice with its cultural scene and platform for literature, art, education, but also entertainment and spontaneous meetings of different groups and generations. The volume of the main building has been preserved and renovated due to its historical significance for the urban expression of Modřice. The urban opening of the garden/yard between the library and the museum can create a high-quality public space fully defined by the cultural activities of the town, which can connect the public with the visitors of these institutions and enhance the quality of cultural life of the settlement. The proposed functions of the object overlap and coexist here. The town center thus receives a new image of an open book where everyone is welcome.

The proposal largely met the criteria, other requirements of the assignment and also met the expectations of the contracting authority. The design represents an approach of a semi-open courtyard with a newly shaped library extension and hall addition. Working with gable walls to the street presents an interesting solution in accordance with the character of the surrounding buildings. However, the building of the lecture hall and the new building are not convincing enough. The court's proposal should be redrafted if necessary.