Eternal Žižkov - an exhibition dedicated to the clearance of the urban district

Currently, there is an exhibition in Žižkov dedicated to “one episode in the life of one Prague district”. It maps out plans from over twenty years ago, according to which the totalitarian regime, encouraged by long-term planning and prefabrication technology, intended to “modernly” reconstruct a devastated and poorly maintained urban area. The drastic approach of panel construction around Komenského Square was to be just the opening act of a comprehensive demolition. Its planning at that time was managed by teams from PÚDIS, SÚRPMO, as well as Liberec's SIAL. Had the projected visions not been interrupted by the November 1989 events, the historical development would have been overshadowed by the familiar image of a typified housing estate with apartments according to sanitary standards or a highway instead of Prokopova Street. The realization of the full scope of this urban plan would have practically erased the one hundred and fifty-year history of the place.
The fact that a similar strategy was not meant to be limited only to the boundaries of the Žižkov district is also evidenced by reminders of similar plans for Smíchov, Libeň, or Vysočany. In addition to showcasing project documentation of a state contract, the exhibition also recalls the rebellion of a few architects and residents or members of the Club for Old Prague. Just like reflecting on the responsibility of the professor and the quality of professional arguments of the time.
Although specific planning only began in 1973, thinking about the “rectification” of urbanism on the northern side of the Prague hill can be traced back to time immemorial. The exhibition, therefore, guides visitors deeper into the past: to the legacy of the left-wing architectural avant-garde of the 1930s, from which socialist plans partially drew (our version of “The Shining City”…), but also to the very boom of the proletarian neighborhood in the second half of the 19th century. The exhibition scene, built on the tension between “modern” and “traditional”, also navigates visitors to deeper layers of urban culture – here permeated by the atmosphere of “eternal Žižkov”.

Organized by Municipality of Prague 3
Authors Jiří Horský, Martin Hrdina
Consultation Jan Sedlák
Gallery under the Town Hall, Municipality of Prague 3, Havlíčkovo Square 9
The exhibition ends on January 28, 2010 (open only during regular working hours)

See also www.archifest.cz, www.praha3.cz