Reflection on the Street For Art festival and ZÓNA IDEAL in Jižní Město
In Liberec, June 8, 2011 - Street For Art, one of the few festivals dedicated to public space, attracted thousands of visitors to Prague's Jižní Město. The central theme of the ten-day festival was public life, public space, and everything that revolves around it.
The festival's location, Prague's Jižní Město, was not chosen by chance. The anonymous public space of this largest Czech housing estate is a typical place of alienation; a space that does not fulfill essential social functions. Its residents have almost no opportunity for natural social interaction, meeting, and communication. The festival, which briefly interrupted this gray anonymity of the space, emphasized the public space as a place for life that should provide people with a suitable environment for everyday social activities. The centerpiece of this year's festival became the so-called IDEAL ZONE, a platform measuring 30 x 30 meters, which was meant to showcase a well-functioning place to live in public space with everything that such a space should contain.
The architectural design of the IDEAL ZONE concept was handled by Mjölk architekti studio, which also actively participated in its realization. This group of creative architects became known due to an illegally built sauna in the middle of the Liberec reservoir. “From the beginning, we adhered to the concept of a large area of 30 x 30 meters, which became the venue for the entire program. The area, which was entirely built from euro pallets and spruce battens, required additional facilities, which we decided to address as a scaffold hall due to budget constraints. It provides a covered space for the bar, seating with a stage, and a chillout zone overlooking the outdoor area. The facade of the hall is covered with a translucent non-woven fabric, and a projection area is placed on it.” describes one of the architects, Jan Vondrák. “The IDEAL ZONE is meant to be a model of an ideal public space, a kind of living place between buildings that serves people and their real needs, at least for a short while.” adds David Kašpar, representative of the organizer KC Zahrada and festival program director.
The festival featured a diverse mix of cultural events, concerts, theater, and performances. “We wanted to show people that improving the environment in the housing estate requires very little. That’s why we dedicated one festival afternoon to a workshop where visitors could make benches from euro pallets and other inexpensive materials. Some then took the benches in front of their apartment buildings, and today they can sit on them and chat with their neighbors.” explains Vondrák and continues: “We gladly accepted the invitation to collaborate because we perceive public space as a functional tool in shaping social interaction, which directly affects the quality of life in a given locality. Thus, the festival was a new challenge and a great experience for us.”
The festival also targeted the professional public – a series of discussions and the conference Some Ideas for Better Cities focused on topics of public space, architecture, art, and sociology offered meetings with interesting Czech and foreign guests, including the famous Berlin Raumlabor.
The festival's location, Prague's Jižní Město, was not chosen by chance. The anonymous public space of this largest Czech housing estate is a typical place of alienation; a space that does not fulfill essential social functions. Its residents have almost no opportunity for natural social interaction, meeting, and communication. The festival, which briefly interrupted this gray anonymity of the space, emphasized the public space as a place for life that should provide people with a suitable environment for everyday social activities. The centerpiece of this year's festival became the so-called IDEAL ZONE, a platform measuring 30 x 30 meters, which was meant to showcase a well-functioning place to live in public space with everything that such a space should contain.
The architectural design of the IDEAL ZONE concept was handled by Mjölk architekti studio, which also actively participated in its realization. This group of creative architects became known due to an illegally built sauna in the middle of the Liberec reservoir. “From the beginning, we adhered to the concept of a large area of 30 x 30 meters, which became the venue for the entire program. The area, which was entirely built from euro pallets and spruce battens, required additional facilities, which we decided to address as a scaffold hall due to budget constraints. It provides a covered space for the bar, seating with a stage, and a chillout zone overlooking the outdoor area. The facade of the hall is covered with a translucent non-woven fabric, and a projection area is placed on it.” describes one of the architects, Jan Vondrák. “The IDEAL ZONE is meant to be a model of an ideal public space, a kind of living place between buildings that serves people and their real needs, at least for a short while.” adds David Kašpar, representative of the organizer KC Zahrada and festival program director.
The festival featured a diverse mix of cultural events, concerts, theater, and performances. “We wanted to show people that improving the environment in the housing estate requires very little. That’s why we dedicated one festival afternoon to a workshop where visitors could make benches from euro pallets and other inexpensive materials. Some then took the benches in front of their apartment buildings, and today they can sit on them and chat with their neighbors.” explains Vondrák and continues: “We gladly accepted the invitation to collaborate because we perceive public space as a functional tool in shaping social interaction, which directly affects the quality of life in a given locality. Thus, the festival was a new challenge and a great experience for us.”
The festival also targeted the professional public – a series of discussions and the conference Some Ideas for Better Cities focused on topics of public space, architecture, art, and sociology offered meetings with interesting Czech and foreign guests, including the famous Berlin Raumlabor.
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