Architectural competition for the monument to aviators - results

The city of České Budějovice announced an architectural competition for a memorial to aviators in November of last year.
"An official memorial site dedicated to all those who fought for our freedom in World War II is still missing here. The cemetery of St. Otýlie has a memorial for Russian soldiers, but there is none that specifically honors war aviators whose fate was closely tied to České Budějovice or to our region,” states Mayor Juraj Thoma.
The total budget should not exceed one million Czech crowns, which will be supplemented with funds collected from voluntary donors and from the proceeds of a concert organized for this purpose. “Fifty-four designs were submitted to the competition, and their final ranking will be recommended to the city council for approval by a professional jury. For now, I can only reveal that the designs are very different, ranging from minimalistic to large sculptural works made from various materials, such as stainless polished sheet metal, metal, wood, and possibly even incorporating elements of water. The final winner of the memorial, which will find its place in front of the main post office, will be decided in February,” elaborates the mayor.
The fate of aviators operating during the war in Great Britain is also connected to České Budějovice in the immediate post-war period due to the airport. “As early as the fall of 1945, intensive training began at the Planá airport for the stationed 2nd Air Division, which included surviving members of the 312th Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron RAF. They also participated in retraining Israeli veterans on aircraft provided to Israel by our state after the war. Among them was the later president of the state of Israel, Ezer Weizman. The way the communist regime treated our war heroes is perhaps unnecessary to remind. This is one of the reasons why a memorial should be created in České Budějovice to honor the heroism of these men," added Juraj Thoma.

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1st place - “Lower your gaze, rest, observe the sky and think.”
Authors: Ing.arch. Eugen Řehoř, Ing.arch. Jitka Pucandlová, Štěpán Řehoř, MgA. Vít Šimek

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Urbanism
The location of the memorial is largely defined by the local situation and the requirements generated by protective zones of the networks that pass through the land. It is likely that the square will undergo a comprehensive reconstruction sooner or later, which is why we are placing the memorial in a location that we believe will still be suitable for such an object in the future. The memorial itself is located in a green space and is connected to pedestrian pathways made of gravel roads, oriented according to the cardinal directions. This is not just a formal gesture but also a communication within a broader urban context.

Architecture

The guiding motif of the design is concentric circles. The form directly refers to the symbol of the RAF (where most of the aviators fought). A low cylinder is softly set into the terrain. It appears mysterious, but not pathetically. It offers a secret, urging passersby to look inside. The name of the memorial is placed on the outer shell, which may be illuminated artificially at night. The inner conical space is filled with concentric circles that consist of the names of all aviators fighting alongside allies for the liberation of the homeland during World War II. However, the most important aspect of our design is the reflection of the sky on the water's surface in the central part of the memorial. The shape is designed so that when visitors look into the object's interior, they will see only the sky on the water's surface. The sky as the essence of aviation, as the love of all aviators, as a phenomenon without equal. The pieta is fulfilled – the visitor humbly lowers their gaze but sees the sky – looking up to the clouds – to the sky itself.

Material and technical solution

The material of the memorial corresponds to the situation. It is durable, technical, and elegant. It consists of chemically corroded sheet metal – which forms the body of the object and the relief names of all Czech aviators fighting for liberation during World War II. The memorial is based on a reinforced concrete foundation. The mass of the memorial is welded from steel sheets approximately 5mm thick. The names of the aviators will likely be cut out using laser or water jet technology. All names will be individually formed and welded to the body of the memorial. The specific form of the technology needs to be further specified after consultations. The water surface will be connected to filtration and circulation equipment. This requires connection to the water supply and an electrical power connection. Lighting is planned only for the outdoor part of the memorial, either variably along the entire perimeter of the cylinder or only in the place with the inscription.

Estimated costs: 1,059,250 CZK without VAT

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2nd place - "The basic form of the memorial is an elevated obelisk."
Authors: Ing.arch. Michal Nohejl, Ing. Pavel Jahelka

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What should a contemporary memorial be like?
The proposal is based on the belief that commemorating significant historical moments in our history and the heroes of our homeland is not sufficient through merely displaying external attributes of celebration. The contemporary memorial should not be just a passive carrier of symbols, but a storyteller of human destinies. It should tell the story of heroes whose fate (historical development) brought dramatic turning points that none of them would have freely chosen. Yet it is precisely how they decided and behaved in these moments that makes them heroes worthy of remembrance and emulation.
The basic form of the memorial is an elevated obelisk. However, in our interpretation, it is not just a mass, but a timeline – the life of one of the aviators who fought against Nazism from 1939 to 1945.
The obelisk arises from the earth and dies in the sky. The obelisk does not rise smoothly and vertically. It is shattered, deformed, perforated.
The first break symbolizes the scar of the Munich Agreement, the establishment of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, and the outbreak of World War II. A certain illegibility of the inscription on the obelisk due to its cutting and shifting emphasizes the violence and drama of these historical moments which were beyond the control of individuals to influence or avert.
The second break, or rather the mass removed from the obelisk, symbolizes the war years. A series of circular holes in the obelisk can be freely interpreted as vacant spaces left by comrades who fell in battle or as a shot-up aircraft fuselage.
The third break is the longest, stretched, and fluid. It symbolizes the years of communist dictatorship, repression, and the regime's efforts to break and erase any memory of the heroism of aviators from the public consciousness.
The actual struggle of the aviators during the war years is thus placed within a broader historical context.
The orientation of the obelisk on the site is parallel to the oldest footprint of the layout of České Budějovice, its core. This orientation, where the obelisk's rotation is neither perpendicular nor parallel to any border of the park area itself, underscores the uniqueness of the artifact, elevating it above trivial local urban contexts and linking it with the heart of České Budějovice – Přemysl Otakar II Square.
At ground level, approximately 50 metal rectangles with the same footprint dimensions as the obelisk are placed in the gravel surface. These plates, which stabilize the forecourt of the memorial, also symbolize the lives of the rest of us.
It is anticipated that a broader debate will follow regarding the inscription on the memorial itself. The text "To Czechoslovak war aviators 1939 - 1945" reflects the name of the state entity for which those whom the memorial is dedicated did not hesitate to lay down their lives.

Description of the technical solution
- Obelisk 9x1.6x0.3m, structure of steel plates 10mm thick, surface finish, concrete base, stainless letters 
- 50 pcs of steel plates 1.6x0.3m 10mm thick anchored to concrete base 
- gravel surface approximately 60m2 
- 3 pcs of ground illumination 
- electrical connection 
- the memorial does not require standard maintenance 
- in case of a conflict with engineering networks, the proposed placement of the obelisk can be changed

Estimated costs
Preliminary cost estimates indicate that the expected costs for implementation are in the amount of 1 million CZK without VAT.

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3rd place - “Never in the history of human conflicts was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Authors: Ing.arch. akad.arch. Daniela Fenclová, Marek Nosek, Josef Odvárka, David Fryml

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MOTTO: "NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF HUMAN CONFLICTS WAS SO MUCH OWED BY SO MANY TO SO FEW" Winston Churchill, August 20, 1940
“Never in the history of human conflicts was so much owed by so many to so few.”
The famous words of Winston Churchill, first spoken publicly on August 20, 1940, in the House of Commons of the British Parliament, emotionally introduce the well-known conflict of World War II – the Battle of Britain. In a single sentence, hundreds and hundreds of specific fates of aviators who literally made history in the fierce aerial battle of 1940 in the skies over Britain are reflected. The specific incidents and fates hidden behind this sentence, each different, unique, and something completely special, are nevertheless so similar, full of courage, struggle, death, and hope, but also humanity, love, and fear. Unfortunately, 511 aviators did not return to our homeland from the West. Honor their memory! (http://www.aeroweb.cz/clanek.asp?ID=1233&kategorie=3)

Justification of the chosen comprehensive architectural solution

The memorial design consists of a reflective surface that uniquely mediates the reflection of the sky and permanently reminds observers of the fates of the heroes of the Czech war aviation. The compact mirrored surface of the memorial will be engraved with the inscription “To Czech Aviators 1939 - 1945.” The plate is processed in the upper left corner to evoke the RAF symbol. The proportions of the individual divided fields correspond to the proportions in the RAF emblem. The outer circle is etched into the plate, while the inner is cut out. In front of the memorial itself is a commemoration area of dark basalt slabs and stainless steel plates that is subtly, yet clearly, separated from the publicly accessible space by a stainless strip into which a quote from Winston Churchill is inscribed. The commemoration area serves as a place for laying wreaths during anniversaries, and public access to it is not permitted.
The access path to the memorial is led from the corner of Senovážné Square from Žižková Street. The path, paved with fine basalt gravel, reaches a length of 27m and a width of 2.4m. The edges are bordered with a stainless strip for aesthetic, as well as practical reasons (maintenance of the lawn, etc.). Along the path are informational panels bearing basic historical information. The shape of the memorial is chosen to be engaging and understandable to people of all ages, starting with children. However, the memorial's solemn character is preserved. The total area prepared for the placement of the memorial, including the access path, is 69m2. The memorial is designed as maintenance-free. Regular lawn maintenance is sufficient, which will not be significantly disrupted. The memorial is a monoblock made of high-quality stainless steel. It contains no potential objects susceptible to vandalism.
Description of the material and technological solution
The memorial consists of a sandwich construction with an internal reinforcing grid and plates 15mm thick made of stainless steel measuring 2400x3200mm mounted in the ground at an angle of 70°. In the ground, the grid is connected to a concrete base, which ensures its stability and angle of inclination. The memorial is placed on compacted earth covered with a layer of gravel and sand leveled with the top edge diverting from the access path. The text is engraved into the slab on the right side from the frontal view. The upper left corner features a cut-out section of the RAF symbol. The inner circle of this symbol is cut out, the middle circle is a shiny mirror, and the final outer part is sandblasted. The rest of the slab is made of polished stainless steel, creating a mirror.
In front of the memorial are basalt stone slabs measuring a total of 2400x1400mm. The thickness of the slabs is 10cm. The stone is sculpted to create gentle waves parallel to the edge of the mirror. It is largely left in its natural form. It is placed on compacted earth covered with a 10cm layer of gravel and sand. The steel plate measuring 2400x1000 follows the stone slabs.
The access path to the memorial is 27 m long. It is filled with basalt sand, which is on a 10cm gravel base on compacted earth. The boundary between the gravel and grass is formed by a stainless steel strip 30mm thick. The path is lined with two information boards also made of stainless steel. These boards are further bent and engraved.

Justification of the urban planning solution, integration of the memorial into the structure of the area
The placement of the memorial is determined by three visual axes: the first leads from the bus stop in front of the post office towards Lannova Street. The second axis is from the large intersection towards the post office. And the last third axis is from Karel IV Street while walking towards Senovážné Square. The main access axis will be from the intersection at Senovážné Square. Passersby and residents are invited to explore the place in detail and to pay tribute to the memory of Czechoslovak aviators. During significant anniversaries, the memorial will be able to accommodate more people without disrupting traffic and other urban functions.
Greenery will remain in its current volumes. It will only be visually cultivated and pruned.

Estimated costs: 513,200 CZK without VAT