Vratislavice square
Our intention was to create a new heart for the municipal district—a public realm where history meets the present and daily life intersects with the civic role of the town hall. Drawing inspiration from traditional urban fabrics, where public squares have always served as places of freedom and community gathering.
Location:
Vratislavice nad Nisou, Czech Republic
Client:
Municipality of Vratislavice nad Nisou
Status:
Under construction
Project year:
2024
Completion year:
2025
Built-up area:
306 m2
Architects:
Nikola Žuchová, Daniela Drátovníková Marešová, Jan Vondrák, Jan Mach
Design engineer:
Mjölking s.r.o.
Crystal clock:
Preciosa a.s.
The project responds to the evolving identity of Vratislavice as a modern urban neighborhood. We designed a space with a sculptural quality, where every detail serves both an aesthetic and symbolic purpose.
Spatial Architecture
The new public space between the town hall and the church is hemmed in by traffic along Tanvaldská and Nad Školou streets. This tight constellation defines a relatively small footprint lacking a clear urban edge. Rather than treating it solely as a conventional square, we envisioned it as a protective bay—a tranquil refuge where one can slow down and safely pause.
A primary design motif was reconciling the grade change between the sidewalk on Tanvaldská Street and the main entrance to the town hall. This physical imbalance became the catalyst for a concept that presents the town hall as an open, accessible civic institution. Access is resolved via a gently sloping ramp paired with a flight of steps.
The main gathering area is articulated into smaller stepped terraces. These serve as platforms for street furniture while their edges function as integrated seating ledges. A broad perennial bed buffers the space from Nad Školou Street, softening the threshold to traffic, while three mature plane trees lend human scale and character to the square.
Vratislavice Paving
We designed a brand-new hardscape surface tailored specifically for Vratislavice’s public spaces and streets. The Vratislavice Paver reinterprets standard interlocking pavers, reimagining them as large-format blocks with colors and textures derived from the natural grain of local Liberec granite. Their varying sizes and subtle tonal shifts allow for versatile application throughout the district.
Near the town hall entrance, the paving is arranged in a mosaic pattern that symbolically references Vratislavice’s industrial heritage and its historic carpet manufacturing lineage associated with the Ginzkey family. This motif anchors local memory directly into the newly defined public realm—a space where history and daily life meet.
Dominant Feature – The Clock
At the heart of the square stands a nearly four-meter-tall glass clock installation crafted by Preciosa Lighting. Serving as a symbol of both the passage of time and the town’s contemporary identity, its dynamic evening illumination adds vitality, transforming the clock into a glowing gateway between Vratislavice’s history and its vibrant present.
"The most inspiring moments are those spent idling—when I’m neither looking at my phone nor listening to music, just sitting on the tram. I really love these quiet moments of pause."
Jan Vondrák
Autor
Public Use
The square is furnished with loose, movable chairs and tables that visitors can rearrange according to their needs. As a result, the square functions not merely as a transit zone, but as a living venue for spontaneous lingering, conversation, and neighborhood encounters.
The new square in front of the town hall grants Vratislavice a fresh identity, providing its residents with a safe, welcoming, and symbolically rich public realm.
