Thomas Kot’k, Marek Topi‹,
Marcel Turic

ACTION FOR JAN PALACH SQUARE

Jan Palach square has an
important place in the  life
of Prague, not only because of
its central location in Old
Town, but also because of the
cultural monuments that
surround it. It is flanked on
three sides by the Rudolfinum,
the Philosophical Faculty, and
the Vysoka äkola
um˛leckoprómyslov‡. The fourth
side opens out onto a
spectacular view of Hrad‹any.
Besides the Rudolfinum and
schools directly on the
square, itÕs proximity to the
Law Faculty, City Hall, and
the main City Library, plus
itÕs metro and tram stations
mean that most people who live
in Prague come to the square
regulary throughout the year.
The nearby Old town Square,
Charles Bridge, and Jewish
Quarter guarantee that many
groups of tourists pass
through the area in the summer
months as well. 

In spite of these factors, the
square itself is a dead and a
completely uninteresting
space. In 1990 the star made
of bright red flowers that
used to adorn the square was
removed, replaced by a single
concrete and steel ventilation
shaft. This cold, utilitarian
structure lies at the center
of the squareÕs grassy lawn,
and is part of a recently
completed underground parking
garage. The outer perimeters
of the square are cut by
asphalt walkways leading to
surrounding streets and
crosswalks. The effect of
these paths is to literally
force one walk around the
square, avoiding any
interaction with it
whatsoever. After only a quick
inspection of the site, it
becomes painfully obvious that
next to architectural
splendors like the Rudolfinum,
the square is a void needing
to be filled.

At the moment there seems to
be no serious discussion in
Prague about changing the
situation at Jan Palach
Square. We aim to provide a
forum for discussing this
issue by holding a two-day
happening. For forty-eight
hours, we will transform the
concrete ventilation shaft
into an inviting space for
people to gather, talk, and
leave their ideas. By placing
furniture and transforming the
shaft into a comfortable
salon-like space, citizens of
Prague will have an
opportunity to assemble and
propose their solutions to the
problems of the squareÕs
present condition. We will
host this forum around the
clock, so that people may come
to discuss the space at
varying times of the day, when
it can be seen in different
contexts. This will provide an
opportunity for more varied
and original solutions. We
will collect the best ones and
compile them into a brochure,
which will then be sent to the
offices of His Lord Mayor of
Prague, Jan Koukal.

Our objective is to begin a
constructive discussion in
Prague that can lead to a
reasonable solution to the
squareÕs present state. It is
a great opportunity to
contribute to the evolution of
one of EuropeÕs premier
cities. Any solution calls for
sensitivity on all fronts. It
must be architecturally sound,
artistically innovative, and
practical as well.
Undoubtedly, there will be
many good ideas which will
result from our happening.
Collectively they can serve to
begin the process of
integrating Jan Palach Square
into the cultural and
architectural life of Prague.