Installation of the German House at Moravské náměstí in Brno by CHKAA

From May to October, the multi-genre festival Summer 2017 will revive the space of Moravian Square in Brno. The rich program, which will kick off on May 19 with the Meeting Brno festival, will be adapted to the space of the square itself. The project for the temporary modification of the square is the work of the architectural studio Chybik+Kristof Architects & Urban Designers, and its concept, as well as the main motto – Unity in Diversity – aims to remind of all the historical layers that have accumulated here over the centuries.
Moravian Square in Brno is a place with a rich history. It is located on the northern edge of the historical downtown and was part of the city fortifications with a bastion until the mid-18th century. By the end of the 18th century, it was already a lively place of social events, and after the demolition of the city walls around 1850, it became incorporated into the green ring of Brno's circular route. Between 1888 and 1891, the German House was built in the middle of the park, complemented by a sculpture of Emperor Joseph II, serving as a cultural center for the German-speaking citizens of Brno. The monument was removed in 1919, and the German House ceased to exist with the end of World War II. After the war, Red Army soldiers who lost their lives during the liberation of Brno were briefly buried here, after which the area was landscaped as a park. In 1946, the foundation stone for a T. G. Masaryk monument was unveiled in the park, which, however, was never completed. Between 1970 and 1973, the space was redesigned in the spirit of the then ideology – a five-pointed fountain with a water feature was placed in its center, behind which stood the sculpture "The Communists." After 1990, only the fountain remained. All these historical layers are a testament to the history not only of the city of Brno but of the entire Czech state. They document dramatic changes in society that were the driving force behind most changes in the square's space. With a bit of exaggeration, one could say that Moravian Square is a hidden manifesto of our history.
The installation designed by architects Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof for Summer 2017 recalls these layers and intersects them at unexpected moments. It evokes the desire to connect. It refers to the long-forgotten layer of the city walls as well as the affiliation of the Czech and Moravian people with the Habsburg monarchy, commemorates the largest minority in Brno – the Moravian Germans – as well as the Red Army soldiers, and does not forget the long years of the communist regime.
The task was to create a summer pavilion that would include a stage, a bar, a beer terrace, and an outdoor gallery with the necessary facilities. The layout of the individual functions in the space is based on the floor plan of the German House, represented by a structure of scaffolding pipes; the inscription placed on the main façade proudly announces the main motto of the festival – Unity in Diversity – in the languages of all the nations that have appeared in the Moravian Square space. The central part of the pavilion serves as a stage, with the bar and beer terrace located in the right wing, and an outdoor gallery with an exhibition of artworks in the left wing. The central space is dominated by a red star painted on the pavement, referencing the "Communists" sculpture, created by sculptor Pavel Karous. Along the main axis of the square leading to the city center, concrete obelisks are installed as a reminder of the fallen Red Army soldiers. The oldest layer – the city walls – is translated into the form of a simple fence. All of this will be complemented by informational panels describing the individual fragments.
The summer installation will host a range of cultural and social events in the square, beginning with the Meeting Brno festival, followed by folk, theater, and music festivals, as well as beer festivities. The rich program will precede the overall reconstruction of the square, which is planned for 2018. The author of the solution – the atelier consequence forma – was selected based on an architectural competition that took place in the second half of 2016.