Restoration of the Sudeten Cemetery
Petr Parléř Award 2008 - 1st prize
The municipal cemetery in Vitkov reflects the current situation in the Sudetenland. The once generously composed plans based on artistic principles are now losing their lustre, losing depth and content, overgrown with greenery. Such places must be approached with humility and understanding. This is what Jan Kratochvil and I were thinking about when I was working on my first architectural competition. It was successful - our design was awarded the Petr Parléř Prize 2008.
The competition proposal was drawn up in the summer of 2008 and we received the prize in January of the following year. However, the initial joy of winning was subsequently tempered by the disappointment that the follow-up contract was awarded to a large design company with whom we could not find common ground; our design has since taken on a life of its own - and the cemetery is still in the same state. However, winning the competition and negotiating the eventual implementation was a crucial moment in my career - due to concerns about my lack of experience, I approached Kamil Mrva with a request for a short internship in his studio, which eventually turned into a seven-year collaboration. More information about the competition can be found on the Petr Parléř Society website.
Have fun with the TV interview about our proposal, you can find me in minute 119 >.
