Architectural Workshop Trutnov–Bojiště

The use and attendance of the Bojiště natural area in Trutnov have gone through significant turns in its short history. Until the end of World War II, the local restaurant Střelnice was a popular walking destination for the residents of Trutnov. In the 1950s, the burnt-down restaurant was replaced by a public ice rink, which was later transformed into a playground. In 1978, a summer cinema was built on the site of a small natural amphitheater, one of the most modern in Czechoslovakia at that time. In 1990, Bojiště became the home stage for another three decades of the oldest Czech music festival, Trutnoff (Trutnov Open Air Music Festival). One of the visitors of the first year was Václav Havel, who regularly attended the festival until his death. However, three years ago, the legendary festival took place for the last time, and its future editions are very unlikely to be held at Bojiště.
The new tenant of Bojiště wants to utilize the area not only for one-time cultural and social events but also aims to make it accessible to the residents of the city on regular weekdays. Part of the area consists of a forest park, which makes this place extraordinarily suitable as a destination for walks and relaxation in the city.
The goal of the architectural workshop Trutnov – Bojiště was to create objects that would make the stay more attractive both for the residents of the city and for festival visitors. At the workshop, first-year students from the Faculty of Art and Architecture in Liberec and the Faculty of Architecture of Wrocław Polytechnic worked together. The students arrived in Trutnov with specific proposals that they had developed during the summer semester and during joint meetings in Horní Úpa.
Five days were enough for the students to create eight diverse objects located in different parts of the area in various-sized groups. The main building material was wood, as a natural and easily workable material. The students experienced construction and craftsmanship techniques that they mostly only knew from books until then.
Right at the entrance, a significantly enlarged logo of the Bojiště area made of wooden beams welcomes visitors. The name of the area related to the battle of 1866 is reminded to visitors by a cannon with a breech. At the highest point of the area, behind the last row of benches of the summer cinema, the highest object - a "watchtower" is located. Visitors to the forest park will use it as an observation point for the amphitheater, and festival-goers will gladly retreat to it when they want to escape from people for a while. Other constructed buildings will certainly also be a reason for a walk to the area on the outskirts of the city and will enliven the stay for festival visitors.
The first user test for the constructed objects was the ARTU KUS 2019 music festival, starting the very next day after the workshop ended. In particular, young festival visitors liked the buildings designed and built by the students, which also became places for their games.
The architectural workshop was supported by the Institutional Plan of the Technical University in Liberec, the city of Trutnov, the Trautenberk Brewery, and the companies Kasper and MelicharCZ.