LIBRARY

winter 2019

proposal The subject of the studio is the design of the municipal library in Klánovice and the related public spaces. The library should be an intellectual and social centre of the village with a contemporary architectural expression, using state-of-theart technology and equipment based on the architectural tradition of the place.

history Klánovice was founded by Václav Klán, originally a court clerk in Zbraslav and later a real estate agent. He bought the land for the construction of the village from the Prince of Liechtenstein and from the court in Jirny in 1874. On 22nd March 1878, he obtained permission from the Czech Governorate to establish the settlement of Klánovice, which was formally connected to Šestajovice. The establishment of the Jirny-Koloděje railway station, which took place in 1883, was an important impetus for the development of construction in the area. The settlement of Kolodějské Zálesí, which was part of the village of Koloděje, was established near the station.

An important period of Klánovice was the 1920s and 1930s. In 1911, the Chapel of the Mother of God, today‘s Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, was built here. After 1920, a project by the architect Rudolf Utěšil was

solution Klánovice. A small town on the very outskirts of Prague. A peaceful retreat in an environment closely connected with the surrounding forests. The part of the village where the land is located is situated between a primary school, a kindergarten, the municipal office and a sports hall.

The current situation is rather sad. An area that could be an important part of the city is occupied by several buildings that are only degrading the place. Our task was to change this situation.

I didn‘t feel very comfortable while inspecting the building site. The considerable lack of clarity and chaos of the area realized. He designed a large-scale development of the village connected with the construction of the Klánovice Spa, a swimming pool, a colonnade and a restaurant with a guesthouse. A bronze statue of T. G. Masaryk was unveiled in the park near the railway station. During the Second World War, a forest golf course gradually grew up here. The investor was Golf Club Praha, which moved to Klánovice from Motol in Prague. The course was built on the land donated by Prince Liechtenstein, and Baron František Ringhoffer, among others, contributed to its construction. When fully completed, the playground covered an area of 86 hectares. The six-hole course was opened in August 1938 and by 1950, 15 holes had been completed. The spa complex fell into disrepair after 1950, and the main facility was liquidated in 1988. Stalinist labelling also affected golf in Klánovice; for ideological reasons, Golf Club Prague was closed down in 1950 and most of the playing areas were ploughed and reforested. In 1974 Klánovice was annexed to Prague.

Today, Klánovice is a popular place for luxury living surrounded by forests and preserved nature. Thanks to the railway line included in the Prague Integrated Transport System, it is possible to get from Klánovice to the centre in 30 minutes. Klánovice thus fulfills the urban theories of living in one‘s own family home and yet within easy reach of the centre of the metropolis.

evoked negative feelings in me. Even though the lot is large, the amount of buildings and obstructions define a really tiny usable area. This is what I wanted to avoid with my proposal. Thats why I designed a smaller, single storey building that does not interfere with or degrade the outdoor spaces.

The mass is oriented parallel to the street line and appropriately complements the urban design. Four cross-sections nicely articulate the interior space and at the same time illuminate it. In the middle of the layout there is a small amphitheatre used both for teaching children and as a space for projections or lectures. Above the amphitheatre, a generous space opens up, which is glazed above the roof level and thus provides sufficient light for the interior.