Mendel Square

In the Czech city of Brno, CHYBIK+KRISTOF have collaborated with dílna to design a new public square that will evolve in 30 years’ time to reveal a new public park that’s been growing beneath.

Photos
KIVA, Alex Shoots Buildings

Ondřej Chybík was four when The Velvet Revolution happened, marking the end of over 40 years of communist rule in what was then Czechoslovakia. He remembers the central role public squares played in this uprising, hence his practice – CHYBIK+KRISTOF – working alongside dílna, has remastered Mendel Square Brno, a project steeped in a complex lattice of history and politics.

Brno is the Czech Republic’s second largest city, and with two architecture schools, “almost every other building’s doorbell in the city is an architecture practice”, says Chybík.

The city is geographically closer to Vienna than the Czech capital city of Prague, and its pre-war urban landscape reflects this through a combination of art nouveau, Adolf Loos and Le Corbusier functionalism. Private practice was legalised in 1990, triggering the start of an exciting contemporary movement.

Mendel Square is located in Staré, Brno’s historic district, and is the first stage of a broader rejuvenation project of the area, commemorating the bicentenary of celebrated geneticist G. J. Mendel, who spent most of his life living and working in Brno.

Staré is home to 17,000 of the city’s 400,000 inhabitants and despite being one of the oldest districts in the city, it did not have a public square that could act as a focal point for the communities and local businesses. CHYBIK+KRISTOF were invited to work on the project and collaborate with, dílna, a local practice that won commission for the overall scheme. Here, CHYBIK+KRISTOF were tasked with reconfiguring a neglected transport interchange.

CHYBIK+KRISTOF’s site in question marks the end of the several transport lines and is a key intersection between trams, buses and trolleybuses. The practice saw potential for a social space in the centre of the transport hub – which prior to work being carried out was essentially a roundabout with limited crossings.

The goal to combine functionality and leisure presented circulation challenges, as passengers would be moving between potentially dangerous tram lines. Simultaneously, CHYBIK+KRISTOF wanted the square to contribute social value to the area and provide uplift for the surrounding independent restaurants and cafes.

“This project presented a rare opportunity to create a completely new public space in the heart of a historic part of the city,” Chybík added. "From the outset, our vision was to transform Mendel Square into a vibrant civic space that not only respects Brno’s rich heritage but also redefines how public spaces can serve communities in contemporary urban life.”

As phase one of the long-term rejuvenation scheme, the square has been designed so it can be moved in 30 years’ time to an adjacent plot, around the back of a centrally built poly functional building. The red stone circle that defines the space has been laid in sections which can be easily transferred to the new site, while no single-use materials have been used. Once removed, these sections will reveal a planted park beneath that is already being carefully nurtured through gaps in the permeable red stone tiles. The intricate system allows for the tree roots and planted grass to mature before being walked on, eventually unveiling a durable and sustainable green space.

The new square, as it has stands today, transitions across diaerent zones: walkways, roads, and transport platforms, while maintaining a cohesive and streamlined flow for buses and trams. A central pedestrian space hosts markets and festivals, bringing a new energy to the area.

Mendel Square has already delivered a tangible economic boost to the area, increasing property values and driving an estimated 20 per cent rise in commercial activity in nearby stores and venues.

The practice’s beginnings in Brno also aided the design process at Mendel Square. Having a deep understanding of the past, present and future of the city has allowed them to intervene with sensitivity, dismantling layers of context and re-applying them to make the city a better place. “Coming from Brno, this project held deep personal significance for me,” said Sarka Kubinova, an architect at the firm. “Understanding the positive impact it could have on the surrounding community shaped our team's approach from the very beginning.”

As a project, Mendel Square is also unique: in growing a park below the surface, it manages to straddle the duplicitous roles of providing a temporary architecture and creating a feeling of something that has always existed. Such an achievement is down to CHYBIK+KRISTOF and dílna's tactful “crafting of character” – a concept that underpins its approach to all projects, as chronicled in their first book under the same name; an approach that is built around a dialogue between buildings, spaces, and people, audiences and stages.

Expanding on this ethos, Chybík explains how there is an initial key decision the practice takes that forms the basis of this approach: whether the design takes centre stage, or works to support the pre-existing environment. At Mendel Square the latter as clearly been chosen, shining a light on the area's historic surroundings to provide space for the public to enjoy now and long into the future.