ALES SOUTH BOHEMIAN GALLERY

BOUNDRY STONE

Senovážné náměstí is a transitional zone situated between the historic city and the new city. The project site is located at the intersection where the boundary stone will be positioned. The diverse urban characteristics of its surroundings define the identity of the boundary stone. This stone provides each urban threshold with a unique face: it faces the public square and the historic city to the north, the planned park area to the west, the cultural center of the new city to the south, and the commercial texture of the city to the east. The facades oriented towards these four directions are designed to enhance and personalize the public functions at street level. The boundary stone, with its varying mass perspectives along the sidewalk, becomes a symbol of the new urban landscape and public life. It resembles suspended crystal fragments reflecting both the surrounding historical silhouette and elements of nature such as water and trees. Its design draws inspiration from the glass and crystal craftsmanship heritage of South Bohemia. Glass/crystal modules with varying degrees of transparency bring a sense of 'newness' to the historic city through different reflections at various times of the day. Four sculptural crystal masses, formed by uniquely shaped glass/crystal grains, take on a sculptural quality across different scales. The gradations of reflections and translucencies blur the boundaries between the old and the new, as well as between the interior and the exterior.

 

Distinction Between Servicing Areas and Serviced Areas
The design emphasizes the distinction between servicing areas and serviced areas. Accordingly, servicing
areas (such as stairs, elevators, service entrances, storage, security, etc.) are positioned along the street
façades, while serviced areas (including exhibition spaces, auditoriums, restaurants, offices, libraries, etc.)
are placed along the public square and park façades.

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Constraints and Building Section
Due to the volume of the historic buildings, the proposed building height is +19.00m, with a total building
height including the roof reaching +22.00m. This proposal has been deemed valuable and has guided
the design. The building section is organized as ground floor + 2 floors to ensure that the exhibition
spaces meet technical requirements with sufficient height. Large cantilevers have been incorporated on
the ground floor, which is at a minimal area footprint, to provide the necessary exhibition spaces. After
meeting technical requirements, the clear exhibition height is maintained at 4.50-5.00m. Offices are
located on the first floor with a ceiling height of 7.0m, and are arranged in two levels (h: 3.50m) to ensure
volumetric efficiency. The building is finished at 18.50m. The bar and viewing terrace are designed at the
roof level. With partial construction on the roof, the final building height reaches +21.80m.

 

Ground floor permeability
Similar to how the water canal separates the landscaped area from the square, the ground floor plan is
divided into two parts by a rectangular lobby area running along the north-south axis. On the side of the
lobby facing Karla IV. Street, vertical circulation elements, including the fire escape and service entrance,
are located. On the side facing the water canal and the park, multipurpose halls and a restaurant are
placed. The aim is for the restaurant and halls to utilize the open spaces around the canal and enjoy views
of the park. The southeast corner of the building is a critical façade due to its location at the junction of
vehicle routes. Therefore, this area has been allocated to a library-research room and a shared working
space, providing facades in two directions.
The entrance façade features a lobby, museum shop, and transparent façades for the halls, creating a
vibrant entrance level that enhances the activity of the square.

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Function diagram
The ground floor features transparent façades and includes a lobby shaded by building cantilevers,
multipurpose halls, a shared workspace, a library, and a restaurant. The visitor’s restrooms and coatroom
are located in the basement. Access to the public areas in the basement is provided via elevators (including
a service elevator for group use) and an open staircase at the end of the lobby.
An area of 800m² required for permanent exhibitions is designed on a single plane on the first floor. The
permanent exhibition spaces receive natural light from critical urban perspectives to the north and west
(facing the square and park). Short-term thematic exhibitions are accommodated in part of the first floor
and on the second floor. Temporary exhibition spaces, which benefit from controlled natural light through
skylights, offer urban views from the gaps where the building mass is segmented.
At the +19.50 level, a publicly accessible catering bar and event terrace are designed, providing visitor and
service access from the ground floor restaurant. The viewing and event terrace offers views of the square,
park, and historic city fabric.
Technical areas, including the restaurant kitchen, cleaning room, storage, exhibition storage, guest
restrooms and coatroom, as well as staff changing rooms and restrooms, are located in the basement.

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Circulation and fire escape scenario
Along the eastern façade of the building, visitor staircases and elevators, a service elevator, and a fire
escape are incorporated, allowing the western part of the building to be dedicated to large, open spaces.
In accordance with the fire escape scenario, a second fire escape has been planned on the southern
façade, connecting the restaurant and terrace level with elevator/service lift clusters and staff elevators.
The fire escapes have been designed to reach the terrace level. To ensure the first fire escape does not
exceed the +18.50 level boundary, it is arranged as an open staircase leaning against the façade. Due to
the building cantilever, the enclosed second fire escape and elevators, which are set back from the façade,
will also accommodate the daily circulation of staff and terrace users.

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Structural scheme
In the building, the basement floor and vertical elements (stairs and elevators) are constructed with
reinforced concrete, while the structure above the ground floor is designed in steel. Large cantilevers that
increase the floor area and allow for the completion of the two upper levels are resolved with steel truss
beams. The steel rectangular prisms, which feature wide spans and significant projections, are supported
by vertical reinforced concrete cores

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Landscape Approach
The landscape decisions made as a result of the competition for Senovážné Square and its surroundings
have been fully preserved. The square’s boundaries, water channel arrangements, landscape element
placements, and the alignment of the building entrance with the Church of the Holy Family axis have
been considered as design inputs for the new structure. However, the locations of the trees along the
sidewalk have been altered due to the entrance vehicle parking, service entrance, and cantilevers of the
building mass. The boundaries of the superstructure do not overlap with the proposed building limits;
they expand and contract. When expanding, they provide canopies over the ground floor functions, such
as the restaurant’s outdoor canopy, museum entrance canopy, and office entrance canopy. The building’s
vista points are designed to visually interact with the northern square and western landscape areas. The
terrace niches in front of the vista points on the second floor and the building’s roof level are designed as
an extensive green roof (excluding the bar, areas with a view of the historic city, and skylights).