Revitalization of Gahurova Boulevard

The project for the revitalization of Gahur's Prospect won a public anonymous architectural competition in 2011. With the idea of "passing through and not interrupting," the Zlín office ellement won the competition. The authors, Jitka Ressová, Hana Maršíková, Jan Pavézka, in collaboration with Martin Velecký and Petra Martináková, built upon the concept of the functionalist architect and urban planner František Lydie Gahura and responded to the new needs of the area that emerged after the construction of the University Library and Congress Center. Jiří Valoch designed the artwork for the public space; the project curator is Lucie Šmardová, while the authors collaborated with the graphic studio 6.15 on the graphic solution of the details.

Gahura’s Prospect (GP) is part of the magnificent urban plan of F. L. Gahura (1891-1958), whose aim was to create a garden type city that would provide living standards similar to those of spa towns for people living in an industrial center. To this end, large areas were reserved within the city for the establishment of parks and recreational zones. GP is one of these places and occupies a dominant position in the central part of the city. It is the main north-south compositional axis of the city center, forming the "green" cross backbone of the center. The prospect is delineated by two rows of buildings of the former Baťa dormitories, capped at the highest position by the former Study Institute. Dominating this impressive urban complex is the T. Baťa Memorial (formerly the House of Art). The emphasis on the "green character" of the city, which F.L. Gahura inscribed into his plans, also became essential in the new project of the ellement office.

The area being addressed in GP is currently defined by the Cultural and University Center on one side, and on the other side, it is surrounded by a department store with a market. The pair of buildings deviates from the typical rectangular order of Zlín's interwar urbanism, creating "supports" that open in relation to the space being addressed. It is a key urban area of the center where the public greenery of GP transitions into the public greenery of city parks. The urbanistically modest greenery, based on the contrast of open lawn areas and the surrounding mature greenery, almost without opportunities for short-term relaxation, contrasts with the classical greenery of city parks, which features organic groups of mature trees, a shrub layer, and open lawn areas offering opportunities for rest. The newly revitalized space is located in the lower part of GP and creates an intermediate zone between the cultivated urban park and the free slope of GP. It offers pedestrians the possibility to pass through and briefly rest on both the elevated curb and the modeled lawn.

Passing Through and Not Interrupting
The main intention of the ellement office became to fulfill the fundamental and, at first glance, simple idea of "Passing Through and Not Interrupting." Passing through - allowing people free movement in a space that is cultivated, clean, clear, and functional; not interrupting - purposely linking and responding to the concept of F.L. Gahura and further developing it under the existing conditions, relating the project to both the human scale and the urban scale.
This intention is realized through the modeling of the terrain by smoothly transforming the shape of the grassy areas into mild hills, which are defined by the routing of paths and by submerging sidewalks below the level of the original terrain. The ellement office's proposal follows sidewalks in the upper part of GP, which diagonally cross the grassy area and connect the individual dormitory buildings on both sides. GP is a place for the intersection and movement of a larger number of people; the moment of crossing is emphasized in the design by intersecting pedestrian paths. The directions of the new paths - sidewalks stem from a thorough analysis of pedestrian movement across the given area and are parallel to the longitudinal axes of the quartet of significant buildings on the sides of the area - the buildings of the market, Prior, University Library, and KUCu, while also directing towards the historic center of the city. The sidewalks are made of cast concrete, and for the precise definition of all details, composite material - glass cement was chosen for the curb cladding. Thanks to this use, it was possible to integrate service elements for irrigation, drinking fountains, and seating into the raised curbs.

Inside and Outside
The grassy area introduces the remainder of GP through its modeling and subtly refers to the historical significance of the entire space. The newly created paths are almost invisible due to their submergence. For a distant observer, an impression emerges that the area is grassy, cohesive, and smoothly connects to the upper part of GP; the uninterrupted band of greenery optically adds up and creates a lawn mirror. Inside GP, in contrast, the newly formed terrain protects resting pedestrians from the busy intersection. Greenery surrounds them on all sides, creating a more intimate atmosphere suitable for relaxation and respite. In the summer months, it is possible to rest on the terrain waves themselves, where quality turf with an irrigation system is used. To enhance user comfort, drinking fountains with potable water are located at the upper intersection, intended both for pedestrians and their canine companions. Another benefit for citizens and city visitors is the option to connect to the internet via the city's WiFi network. The grassy area is bordered by a galvanized steel edge, which, in contact with the raised curbs, creates a concealed overflow channel.

Public lighting of the sidewalks in the GP area is built into the glass cement walls of the recessed sidewalks. The public lighting around the revitalized area was also replaced and additional fixtures were added at KUCu for more intense illumination of the traffic intersection. During the work, pedestrian routes around the park at Gahura Street were repaved, and a raised threshold was constructed to serve as a calming element for the traffic on the road and a place for crossing.

Always Completely Different Words
The modeled grassy area is an artistic element in itself. The minimalist architectural solution led to the decision not to disturb the space with a separate sculpture and defined from the outset the selection of the artist who was to create a work of art specifically for GP. This artist is Jiří Valoch (1946), a conceptual artist, exhibition curator, theorist and critic of art, creator of visual, conceptual, and photographic poetry, author of photographic concepts, text installations, and conceptual drawings. An artist who significantly contributed to shaping the Moravian artistic landscape, he has exhibited, organized, and curated exhibitions of other artists many times in Zlín, for example at the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts, in Gallery 6.15, or in Cabinet T., where he helped to present, in addition to his work, also the works of authors from both older and younger generations.

Jiří Valoch is a passionate walker, intimately familiar with the city, its history, and its spaces. The work he created for GP continues Valoch's works in galleries, where he transformed exhibition hall spaces into poetic architecture or landscape. The work consists of one sentence - "Always Completely Different Words," which is repeated six times across the entire space on the vertical walls of the curbs. The text, around which one can walk, is simple, comprehensible, clear to everyone, and always different. The place and circumstances of its reading change, the movement of the viewer determines it. The meaning of the work is open to many interpretations - the sentence can evoke emotion, carry a personal message from the viewer, a passerby who finds themselves in the space. Valoch's text seems to trigger an inner voice. When we recall the artistic works that have been or currently are in the space (the statue of Klement Gottwald, the statue of T.G. Masaryk, the statue "Koželuha" under the Moscow hotel, the Unknown Soldier in Komenský Park, and the statues of J.A. Baťa and T. Baťa in the vicinity), we can interpret "Always Different Words" as a memento, a reminder pointing to the relativity and transience of political systems.

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ellement
Office for Architecture and Design

Since 2002, ellement has been active in the field of architecture and design. The integration of these two fields leads to an active dialogue, the result of which is a comprehensive way of viewing and subsequently processing individual projects down to the smallest detail.
The ellement office, operating in Zlín, has realizations ranging from urban studies, public spaces, commercial buildings to designs of family homes, small and extensive renovations, commercial as well as private interiors, and product design. Part of the work on the product also includes subsequent presentation at trade fairs and exhibitions. They have long focused on the renovation of various types of Baťa housing. Independent activities include creating installations for exhibition projects and related collaboration with institutions and curators. The methodology for working on individual commissions is adapted to individual assignments. Interdisciplinary collaboration and communication with experts in the fields of visual art, sociology, or graphic design lead to exceptional solutions.

Members of the ellement office also engage in the popularization of Zlín architecture and its heritage. One of the outcomes of this focus was, for example, the exhibition "My Baťa House" and the homonymous publication, edited by Jitka Ressová. Members of the office also get involved in the civic association aArchitektura, which organizes author lectures and architectural walks.
The core team of the office consists of Ing. Arch. Jitka Ressová Ph.D., Ing. Arch. Hana Maršíková, and MgA. Jan Pavézka.


Revitalization of Gahura's Prospect - Forecourt of the Cultural and University Center in Zlín
Authors: ellement, office for architecture and design - Jitka Ressová, Hana Maršíková, Jan Pavézka, Collaboration: Martin Velecký, Petra Martináková, Ondřej Stolařík    
Investor: Statutory City of Zlín                                             
Public architectural competition: 2011                                      
Project: 2011-2013
Implementation: 2013
Artwork: Jiří Valoch
Curator: Lucie Šmardová
Graphic Design: STUDIO 6.15
Authors of the competition proposal: ellement, office for architecture and design - Jitka Ressová, Hana Maršíková, Jan Pavézka, Collaboration: Martin Velecký