Architecture should help people live their lives better, says Josef Pleskot

Prague - From initial fascination, through gradual understanding to fulfillment, Josef Pleskot's relationship with architecture, which he has pursued for several decades since his studies, has evolved over time. In his works, he applies various architectural forms and is able to tackle tasks ranging from family houses to public buildings, as well as extensive residential, administrative, or industrial complexes. However, he always approaches these projects with a great sensitivity to the local and historical context of the building and its purpose. As he says, architecture, in his view, is a medium that helps people live their lives better and shape conditions for the best possible social bonds. It should anticipate the needs that enable a healthy and harmonious development for society, he said in an interview with ČTK, the prominent architect who is celebrating his 70th birthday today.

"I enjoy diverse assignments," he explains the wide range of building types on which his studio works. Although Pleskot is perhaps best known for his projects in Litomyšl, more recently, the Lower Vítkovice site in Ostrava is another noteworthy project; his work can be found not only in the capital city but also in other towns. This now includes footbridges and bridges. "Each one addresses the problem of connection differently, always in the context of their locations," says the author. Currently, footbridges are being constructed in Ostrava and Mladá Boleslav according to his designs, a bridge in Radotín is being completed to replace the one Josef Pleskot designed in the early 1990s, and the contractor for the bridge in Mnichovo Hradiště is being selected.

Among Pleskot's long-term projects is the renovation of the Dominican monastery on Husova Street in Prague. The goal of the renovation is the Dominicans' effort to create a place for gathering, education, and culture. On the other side of the Vltava River, another church awaits the architect; three years ago, heritage conservationists approved a project for revitalizing the area in front of the Church of Our Lady Victorious, home to the famous Prague Infant Jesus. The baroque church will receive barrier-free access and facilities, including toilets; it is the second most visited temple in Prague, attracting around half a million visitors each year. In this case too, Pleskot approaches the work of the ancestors with humility, and regarding the small square, seemingly carved out from the row of houses on Karmelitská Street, he remarks that it is a scenography that can be improved but must not be damaged.

"We are actively defending the solution for the headquarters of Sokol in Malá Strana, completing the project for a guesthouse in the Krkonoš mountains, working on a fantastic project for the building permit of the Center for Experimental Medicine at Albertov, and we are hopefully awaiting the construction of the Radlická metro passage," he described more of the projects that the AP studio is preparing or dealing with.

He is pleased that consensus has been reached on the project for the fortified settlement of Závist near Dolní Břežany in Prague. In prehistoric times, there was a significant fortified settlement at the site, which is now a national cultural monument, but the area had been neglected after the excavation of archaeological discoveries. Some time ago, the municipality approached Pleskot with a request to develop a proposal for the modification of the acropolis. The project, named "Re-Presentation," involves the installation of geometric elements filled with stones, which are meant to replicate the foundations of former wooden buildings. The fact that the geometric shapes were to be made of concrete and in various colors met with resistance from laypeople and some experts; debates led to the conclusion that the structures should be made of stone instead of concrete.

"The history of Závist is very complicated, unexplained, and therefore extremely interesting. The archaeological findings are absolutely unique and allow for fantastic interpretation. The Re-Presentation project means presenting these mysteries in a highly abstract form. What the acropolis conceals is complex. What is complex tends to be misunderstood, and this misunderstanding has caused massive resistance," he explains the intricacies surrounding the project. And just as the bridges and footbridges he designs symbolize connection, the solution for the Závist acropolis represents a desire to connect with a very ancient past, "which could help us gain wings."

He perceives the state of society as the problem of contemporary Czech architecture, its almost "pathological disarray." "Society does not have to be uniform at all costs and strictly regulated by some dictation, but it should be capable of consensus and formulate meaningful assignments based on that agreement," he states. So that the result is not solutions in the style of "naked - dressed." According to him, the latest product of social, professional, and thus also political disagreement is the solution for the railway bridge at Prague's Výtoň. The commission selected the winning project that, despite many years of appeals from experts, does not account for preserving the historical structure at its original location.