Competition proposal:

The Healing Garden on Karlov

Authors: Lenka a Shota Tsikoliya

21.11.2023

The architectural and sculptural object of the Healing Garden on Karlov is a metaphor for a place as well as for the world, which is undergoing a deep structural transformation. Climate change, environmental crisis, but also social fragmentation are problems facing our generation and generations of our children. Like any great challenge, this one offers a chance to rethink and renew. The proposed object is an abstract sculpture of a dead and fractured rock from which cracks grows a new and living healing garden.

Quiet atmosphere of the Park on Karlov with the surrounding historical buildings is in contrast with the brutalist landmark of the area - Nuselský Bridge, which is the route of the North-South Highway. In the middle of the park we propose "crossroads" of narrow paths, by which a sculptural object will be located. An irregular geometric structure made of 3d printed concrete reflects the location of the surrounding trees. The object forms a hill, covered with cracks, from which grows the vegetation of the Bohemian and Central European meadows and fields. The rough character and materiality of the building refers to the local brutalist tradition. However, the overall concept of the building transcends this historical reference and offers a sustainable future, symbolized by a "green layer" composed of flowers and medicinal herbs.