RaumScape: A Unique Piazzetta in Old Town Prague

RaumScape unfolds Miloš Forman Square as a living urban landscape in the heart of Prague’s UNESCO heritage. The project transforms a formerly fragmented space into a coherent public ground that gathers the surrounding buildings and reconnects the square to the city. The proposal is structured as a layered public space, where architecture and landscape work together to create accessibility, comfort, and urban life. A continuous ground surface ensures free and universal movement across the site, stitching together Pařížská, the hotel, and the surrounding streets. Heritage-inspired paving extends the characteristic mosaic language of Prague into the square, reinforcing continuity with the historic city fabric. A canopy of climate-resilient trees forms an urban microclimate, offering shade, cooling, and seasonal variation while preserving openness and flexibility. At the center, Miloš Forman Square becomes a civic stage — an open and adaptable ground for everyday life as well as cultural events, markets, and performances throughout the year. The pavilion emerges seamlessly from the ground as an inhabited edge, activating the square and engaging Pařížská. Its transparent structure supports public life through everyday uses while framing the city stage and extending the public realm onto its accessible roof. Together, these layers create a generous, resilient, and inclusive urban space — rooted in Prague’s identity and designed for contemporary public life.

The jury is thrilled by what this proposal offers to the city: it appreciates the well-considered scale of both the pavilion and the open spaces, the permeability of the site, and its relationship to the Brutalist hotel. The open piazzetta will become a public space supporting a variety of opportunities for social interaction. The pavilion forms an integral part of the open space and activates the potential of Pařížská Street as well as the piazzetta itself. The landscape design successfully meets the requirements for spatial clarity and environmental adaptability. The slope of the pavilion roof and its potential public use should be further elaborated.

Veřejný prostor je vždy sporným územím. Nejde o nový problém – spory mezi různými aktéry o podobu veřejného prostoru jsou součástí jeho konstituce již od jeho západního ‘vynálezu’. Ačkoli je veřejný prostor definován a chráněn veřejnými institucemi, na jeho vzniku se často podílejí soukromé zainteresované strany. Skutečně veřejný prostor by neměl tento potenciální střet zájmů zastírat, ale naopak odhalovat, že město je složeno z různých – často protichůdných – zájmů. Právě tato kompozice je jádrem moderní i současné publicity. V našem návrhu se vztah mezi veřejným a soukromým sektorem projevuje v tom, že čitelně zprostředkovává každý aspekt náměstí: jeho okraje, definici jednotlivých částí a také pronajímatelné prostory nezbytné pro jeho údržbu. Tímto způsobem náměstí zhmotňuje kompozitní povahu veřejného prostoru jako souhry různorodých zájmů. Věříme, že formální a prostorová čitelnost je základní podmínkou přístupného a smysluplného veřejného prostoru. Jak uvádějí organizátoři soutěže, koncept raumscape vychází z Loosova Raumplanu – návrhové metody, která pracuje s oddělenými místnostmi ve formě dynamické sekce. Jinými slovy, v rámci Raumplanu je vrstvení podlah komplikováno zaváděním mezilehlých úrovní. Převedením tohoto konceptu do oblasti veřejného prostoru vzniká přístup, který výstižně odráží kompozitní charakter veřejného prostoru, tvořeného různorodými, často navzájem odlišnými částmi. Jak však již bylo zmíněno, možným inspiračním zdrojem Loosova raumplanu je Appiova myšlenka Espace Rythmique, kterou ilustroval sérií perspektivních pohledů z 10. let 20. století. Náš návrh se inspiruje právě touto verzí raumscape jakožto originálním způsobem, jak dát veřejnému prostoru formu. V Appiově espace rythmique je dynamická sekce subtilnější a citlivěji naladěná na využití veřejného prostoru.

The jury was impressed by DOGMA + Atelier Jean Chevalier’s vision for this site. Their scheme deftly resonates without mimicking the modern heritage of the hotel building. It offers generous retail along Pařížská Street, as well as an open, but protected public space. Pedestrians can traverse easily or pause comfortably. As regards issues to address, the jury would desire more permeability along Pařížská and more nuance of the landscape plantings.

To intervene in the historic center of Prague is both an honor and a responsibility. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the city embodies an exceptional concentration of history, architectural grandeur, and urban continuity. Yet this richness also brings significant challenges. The pressure of tourism must be carefully balanced with the everyday quality of life of residents. The weight of history demands restraint, while the city’s vitality calls for contemporary responses capable of dialogging with the present. This site in particular—already the subject of intense public debate—calls for a project able to move beyond polarization, offering instead a shared ground for convergence. Our ambition from the outset was not to impose a solution, but to carefully read these tensions and allow them to guide the project toward a response that could reconcile memory, use, and collective ownership. Our design is grounded in the footprint of the demolished medieval Jewish neighborhood, engaging Prague as a city shaped by deep historical layers. Our interpretation of Raumscape lies in this stratification: overlapping histories, the ground itself becoming a narrator, and public space accommodating a plurality of uses and publics. Subtle and context-specific, the project sees this site as an opportunity to write the next chapter of the piazzetta from its past rather than against it. This approach takes concrete form through the lifted ground. Among the six archetypal scenarios presented during both the public and professional workshops, this archetype received strong and positive reactions. Participants recognized in it a way to preserve openness and reconcile public space with necessary programs. It is in direct response to this feedback that we chose to take the lifted ground as a starting point and enrich it with the qualities of the other scenarios: simple forms framing public space, a garden instead of a square, barrier free design.

The jury highlights the sensitive handling of references to the structure of the medieval Jewish town. The articulation of the piazzetta, based on the reflection of the ground plans of vanished buildings and streets, is regarded as an exceptionally refined and conceptually convincing solution. The jury also positively assesses the authors’ effort to preserve the open character of the square. However, the significant reduction of retail space and the lack of daylight in the lower parts of the commercial areas were identified as problematic. Certain concerns are also raised regarding the solution of barrier-free access.

1. Pavilion in the park: The initial idea was to conceive the required commercial space as a transparent pavilion set in greenery. Despite its visual lightness, however, such a structure in the park still creates a physical and operational barrier and disrupts the continuity of the public space. 2. Accessibility of the roof landscape: The answer is to work with the roof plane of the pavilion so that it becomes a full-fledged part of the park. The terrain rises gradually and transitions smoothly into the roof, creating an accessible "roof landscape" that functions as an urban terrace. 3. Raum-park: In order to make effective use of the space under the sloping roof, we have transferred the principle of continuous terrain to the interior. On one side, the park rises to a viewing terrace, on the other side it flows freely into the pavilion and gradually descends into the commercial parterre, creating a continuous spatial experience between the exterior and interior

The proposal is based on a well-considered concept derived from a detailed analysis of Prague’s public spaces and urban parks; it respects their diversity and reinterprets it in an original manner. The landscape design is highly convincing and demonstrates the authors’ sensitive relationship to the character of the site. Nevertheless, it would benefit from a more comprehensive integration into the terrain. The staircase of the commercial unit limits access to the piazzetta and disrupts a smooth flow of movement through the public space.

A square like a levitating floe in a garden of shadows. A tectonic object from which the present slips into the depths. Architecture as a gateway to the city’s interior, awakening irrational echoes of the past within the grip of stone and concrete, while opening to light and vegetation on the surface. At the meeting point of boulevard and river, we create a space for new stories, embedded in gems hidden within the fissures of time. The Golem’s grip, the breath of the landscape. We are inspired by Prague‘s lifeline, the Vltava River. The beauty of its valley just outside Prague. The richness of its colour palette, the natural contrasts that merge into a coherent identity, and the elegance and richness of its vegetation. We want to give Prague‘s visitors and residents a taste of this in their city centre. Just like the surrounding river landscape, the city of Prague is also an example of rich history and meaningful places. However, truly understanding Prague only begins when you start to discover the various layers of history. It is precisely this layering that we want to introduce into the design of this square. The square also wants to be discovered and represent the richness of the city. As if there were not enough meaning to grasp, the location where we are introducing a new square also represents a convergence of significant periods in the history of this city. In particular, the beautifully renovated hotel building in line with the historic bridge sets the tone for the pattern of the square. A final important component in our concept is the attention to materials and detailing. As an extension of the sensitivity of the natural Vltava and the surrounding architecture, we as a team also want to make a sensitive choice for materialisation. Both in scale and texture, it must fit in with the Prague family, but we also strive for sustainability and reuse. All this must result in a unique yet recognisable materialisation for this special square. The combination, interweaving, blending and integration of all these powerful components and layers resulted in a new topography that references to a cliff in the Vlatava River. A powerful volume that is robust, solid yet elegant. It positions itself in the space but at the same time wants to be part of the bigger picture. From a distance it appears solid, but on closer inspection it is layered and detailed, with a few surprising hidden gems. The cliff aims to bring a piece of nature into the city and offer a special part of the city along the riverbed of the Vltava. The square as a visibly self-identified object in the city space has its own distinctive expression and form. The vast area of the square, like a massive piece of land slightly tilted against the surrounding terrain, reveals its tangible mass most noticeably on its perimeter, around which responsively co-moderates various spatial situations. While on the northern side along the hotel the interface is almost imperceptible, on the southern side in Bílkova Street the raised edge of the square creates a new street front as a side branch of Pařížská Street. At the intersection with Elišky Krásnohorská Street, the edge of the raised square front is deflected to create a pleasant extension of Bílkova Street, enhancing the corner of the cubist teacher‘s house. From the straight street line of Pařížská, the edge is deflected in a curve along the route of the long-defunct street and leads pedestrians past the hotel main entrance and further along its southern forecourt to the elementary school on Curierových Square

The jury appreciates that the proposal establishes a focused and meaningful dialogue with the modernist hotel building as well as with the broader context of the site. However, the attempt to respond to nearly all problems of the area and to resolve them in quite a detail, somewhat paradoxically, in an accumulation of ideas that obscures the clarity of the overall concept. Concerns are also raised regarding the structural solution and the feasibility of the proposal.

A new green civic threshold between Prague’s Old Town and Letná Park. Context and Opportunity – Prague’s Old Town contains very few publicly accessible green spaces, offering limited opportunities for informal gathering, rest, or contact with nature. The proposed piazzetta on Pařížská Street introduces a rare publicly accessible lawn at the northern end of this important urban axis. Together with the existing park next to the Old-New Synagogue to the south, it forms a transitional zone between the dense historic fabric of the Old Town and the open landscape of Letná Park. Raumplan-Inspired Spatial Logic – The design organises the site as a sequence of interconnected spatial volumes shaped by movement and shifts in level. Public space, commercial uses, and access to the underground car park are integrated into a coherent ensemble. Public areas rise to form a green civic platform, commercial spaces occupy intermediate levels, and circulation is woven through the site to create a layered spatial experience that is legible, engaging, and fully accessible. Crystalline Form and Triangular Geometry – Triangular forms structure the piazzetta, drawing on Prague’s Cubist heritage. A primary 1:14 diagonal ramp connects surrounding streets and establishes a clear pedestrian route through the site. An elevated triangle along Pařížská Street accommodates active commercial uses below and soft landscaping above. A second major triangular volume is divided between a mineral zone with stepped seating and water features, and a fully accessible grassed slope facing the adjacent Cubist residential building. Together, these elements create a flexible spatial matrix supporting a wide range of uses. Connectivity and Urban Integration – Pedestrian and cycling connections are strengthened between Pařížská Street, neighbouring streets, and nearby parks. Bicycle parking is placed along the perimeter to maintain openness, while key sightlines and heritage relationships are carefully preserved. Ecological, Social, and Experiential Benefits – Seventy percent of the site is green space, functioning as an urban lawn that reduces runoff, mitigates heat, and supports biodiversity through diverse planting and resilient trees. A fountain and sponge-city infrastructure enhance microclimatic comfort. Varied surfaces, including grass, terraces, slopes, and shaded areas, support everyday use, events, and moments of pause, while respecting neighbouring residences and hotels.

A key strength of the proposal lies in its emphasis on the landscape component. However, the jury identified the concept of the public amenity space as somewhat problematic, as despite efforts to achieve logical and efficient permeability it is resolved in a quite directive manner and offers users limited choice of movement. The role of the central area within the green space – conceived as a node or intersection of paths – also remains unclear; its function as a place for gathering or pausing would benefit from more precise articulation. The jury also raised questions regarding the structural solution and the feasibility of the proposal.