The largest Egyptian pyramid will shine over Ostrava

Ostrava - The Cheops Pyramid will be illuminated above Masaryk Square in Ostrava on Friday evening. It is the largest Egyptian pyramid and also the first and, to this day, the only preserved classical wonder of the world. A one-to-one scale model of the most famous symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization has been decided to be erected above the city by a group of architects who want to visually demonstrate the scale and proportions of the structure. The event is also meant to support Ostrava’s candidacy for the European Capital of Culture 2015, said architect David Kotek on behalf of the organizers today.
    "We started preparing the project mainly because people currently assess architecture from the perspective of like-dislike. We believe that the depth of architecture goes deeper. The basic principles guiding architecture are composition, scale, proportion, and this should be one of the first projects that illustrates that," Kotek stated. He added that people should reflect on the size in the scale of what they know. "They know the pyramid and they know a city block, they know a car, and they can simply compare that," Kotek pointed out.
    The pyramid will be erected above the city using beams of light, whose reflectors will be anchored at four points symbolizing the bases of the gigantic pyramid. People will find them at Kuřím Square, near the General Health Insurance Company, close to the market at Černé Louky, and at McDonald’s.
    The pyramid will have a base with a side length of about 230 meters, which corresponds to the area of twenty football fields, and a height of nearly 150 meters. The light pyramid will look the same and should be visible even from places behind Ostrava. It cannot be precisely estimated from where the pyramid will be observable. For illumination, four lamps with a power of 2000 watts will be used; lights of this power are typically used to illuminate football stadiums and ice hockey arenas.
    The Cheops Pyramid will shine above Ostrava for an entire month thanks to the four beams of light. Paradoxically, the city could benefit from poorer air quality for the first time, as poor air and weather conditions will make the pyramid visible at its best.
    The ceremonial lighting is scheduled for 8:00 PM. It will include not only fireworks and the illumination of the pyramid itself but also one of the buildings on Masaryk Square will be specially lit. The event will also feature a series of lectures. More information can be found on the website www.pyramidanadostravou.cz