The history of the tower Bára has all the attributes of a dramatic story. The town of Chrudim decided to build an observation tower on the edge of a terrain break, on the edge of a forest south of the city, from where there is a panoramic view of the countryside. They announced an architectural competition, which was won by the design by Martin Rajniš - the e-MRAK team: a tower in the shape of a three-sided truncated pyramid, constructed from larch boards as a hollow slope, that is, from boards interspersed with beams with a minimum of necessary solid joints, secured by metal rods. Access to the observation platform is provided by a suspended spiral staircase made of oak boards, fixed to a steel threaded rod. Above the observation platform, the tower continues with a mast made of steel pipes with a signaling light. The Bára observation tower was ceremoniously opened to the public on June 21, 2008, and four days later a strong storm swept across the Czech Republic, accompanied by tornadoes in some places. It struck precisely in the Chrudim region and irreparably damaged the new tower. The whirlwind lifted the structure and moved a pile of debris a few meters away. The people of Chrudim were undeterred; the decision to rebuild the tower was made almost immediately, and on September 3, 2009, the Bára II observation tower was handed over to the public.

The new observation tower is almost identical to its predecessor at first glance, only it is slightly shorter and designed to withstand a storm (up to about 200 km/h - the original tower could handle 130 km/h). It has more safety features, including securing with steel cables, whose tension is adjusted every half hour to accommodate changes in the volume of the wooden structure due to fluctuating air humidity. Usually, the most interesting part of observation towers is the view from their top, but Bára offers much more. Technically inclined visitors will be particularly intrigued by the unique structure with a wealth of simple and smart details, while those with a more philosophical nature may use the view of the tower's wall as a meditative aid. The alternation of horizontal strips of wood and gaps is very pleasant to the eye; the structure resembles the rippling of a water surface or tall grass in a meadow, creating an interference optical effect, the calming impact of which on a person is well known. A zen tower.

text by Jana Tichá
published in the magazine Vesmír

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