Nové KCP

A meadow and among its scarce trees, a translucent shape. We propose an autonomous urban infrastructure connected to its surroundings within very specific points. It maximizes public space while providing urban activity to the context. Below it, a new park full of activities inspired and created by the new centre. A sustainable building designed under the highest efficiency standards that will connect and carry not only the neighbourhood but also the city forward.

The winning proposal appealed to the jury because of its elegance and great contribution to the city. The rationalisation of the existing infrastructure and the application of a highly integrated transport concept made it possible to exploit the potential of the current public space, even in the final phase, in a very realistic way. Although the new exhibition hall respects the original KCP building, it also represents a distinctive and memorable contemporary architecture in Prague and a new gateway to the historic city. This radical and pure form coexists in a pleasing balance with its surroundings, and the urbanism embraces the intelligence (or information) of the situation instead of working against it. One of the key moments in the evaluation was the fact that the authors responded very well to the comments and recommendations made by the jury for the second round of the competition. This promising project has a lot of potential and, according to the jury, can be very well developed to actual implementation. It will be necessary to take into account the need for operational efficiency and to embrace the commercial nature of the KCP so that it works in balance with the clever design, which is so far more of a light, lofty architecture made for art. However, the jury is confident that in discussion with the investor all the more contentious issues, such as logistics and the final dimensions of the exhibition space, will be resolved. The proposal is flexible enough to take into account the pragmatic needs of the KCP. The jury's final comment is to check whether it would be beneficial to see life inside the hall from the exterior as well - whether the façade could be more open, transparent or even an additional added space.

Arranged as a scenic artefact, on the one hand it is the reverse and complementary of the current KCP and, on the other hand, it responds to the scale of the square, the landscape and the urban elements that converge in this point of Prague.

The jury, when selecting this proposal to the second round, expected its development towards bold elegance, but was a little disappointed that the project did not work in the recommendations properly, and offered sometimes empty aesthetics, while not explaining certain important things, such as details of logistics or materiality of the façade. It is also a little bit clumsy in treating the public space and solving traffic situation. There was, however, a great sympathy for the concept among the jurors, who saw quite a lot of possibility and potential in the building as a machine with very flexible façade, and in the clean conversion of the modern public space and in the interesting juxtaposition of the new and old, both in plan and volume. The jury also applauded the brave form of the proposed building. And even though the height might represent an issue, it can be solved, since there is actually more exhibition space than needed. The surplus of space might have led also to the higher investment costs. Nevertheless, the exhibition space is designed as very practical and would serve its purpose well.

Our project starts with a very simple ambition: to recuperate the idea of civic-ness usually associated with the construction of large buildings in a European urban context. At the same time, our interest is to conceive an architectural artefact that addresses perfectly all the program requirements. Hence, how can our proposal resolve all of the requirements that such a “brut” program demands, more specifically accommodating the extra large footprint of the exhibition hall and its servicing, while at the same time transforming an extremely deformed urban setting into one that can operate as clear civic space where everything happens on the same ground.

The hope of the jury was in this case for a further development of the concept of a solid, bold, basic “superfunctional” box. Such a strong functional type was standing out from the competition and showing a lot of possibilities. However, the shift towards a kind of a fabricated, jointed decoration was a little disappointing. The operation would work, but neither part of the jury could not identify with the proposed result.

The design integrates the KCP extension into the strong layered iconography of the existing building. The new exhibition hall inhabits all three levels of the addition catering to a wide range of uses. Its central ground-floor section, covered by a tooth saw roof, accommodates events both in daylight, as well as under black-box conditions. On both of the upper levels the circulation of the extension is seamlessly integrated into existing building organisation. The surrounding platform of the KCP is turned into a continuous pedestrian loop connecting the Nusle neighbourhood in the south to Nusle valley in the north

The concept of one unified building was very interesting for the jury. Highly regarded was mainly the connection to the central hall. Unfortunately, it ended up a little clumsy and confusing, both in the floor plans and the urbanism. The jury did not quite comprehend the choice of materials and in the end, also the exhibition area was designed smaller than needed. In conclusion, the proposal largely transformed the situation, but entirely for the better.

The new building follows the square with an open floor with parking spaces and logistics for the new and existing buildings. The exhibition areas are accessible from the staircase, which becomes a significant point – the meeting point, the place of relaxation, the amphitheatre, the first impression. From the open space of the square, you will pass into a foyer with the main background for visitors or directly to the exhibition grounds. This creates a universal space connecting the interior and exterior, which aims to create a new representative city-building place.

The jury finds this proposal as a very realistic one, with well thought-out loading system serving the exhibition space. The strongest element in the design is the main entrance of the new hall and the orientation of the main façade, which faces the Magistrála Road. The visualizations, that present the exhibition hall as very open and inviting, are however not trusted by the jury, since the exhibits will often close the building. The façade itself also doesn’t relate to what is happening inside, nor to the existing building. As for the public space, the jury noted that it is almost missing in the design. Unfortunately, between the first and the second round, the project was not developed much.

We have created a building and a concept of its surroundings, which accommodate the requirements of the city’s inhabitants and form a public space for all. A building which is not merely an inert, hermetically sealed shell for individual functions. A building which does not divide, but integrates. This relates to both the external environment in front of and beneath the building, and to its internal layout, the vertebral conception of which is an “inside street”, interconnecting all the functions of the existing KCP building and of the annexes currently in the design stage.

The jury appreciated the concept of the “extended hand” touching the existing building – as a certain continuity of the original architecture. The project also tries to activate the spaces in the existing KCP, while substituting the façade of the existing building, which is an interesting feature. While the façade is not very well worked out, the main disadvantage would be the choice of having the three exhibition floors. From the economic point of view, the spaces are not regarded as equal and some further areas would not be monetizable. It also represents a limited flexibility of the operation. The project creates the sixth façade: an open space on the ground floor level under the building. With no proposed scenarios for its functioning and maintenance, it would bring more problems than it would solve.