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Motto: A Place for Everyday Community Life
This architectural study builds upon the previous urban and architectural concept for a new village square within the site of the former Manor Garden.
While the concept established the fundamental spatial relationships and the character of the future village centre, this study develops the proposal further through the design of individual buildings, public spaces and related infrastructure.
The new centre brings together the municipal office, community facilities, rental housing and public space into a naturally functioning whole, creating the conditions for everyday life within the village.
||| architectural study
||| year 2026
||| client: Municipality of Lomnička
||| landscape design collaboration: Ing. Vlasta Hábová | Slowgardens
Between the Village and the Chapel
The site is located in the central part of the village, between the existing development and St. Bedřich Chapel. At present, the village lacks a clearly defined centre and a public space intended for everyday community life. The proposal builds upon the natural relationships within the site and connects the historic core of the village with the area beneath the chapel. An important role is played by the surrounding landscape and distant horizons, which help define the character of the place.
||| village centre, chapel, landscape
A New Layer of the Village
The composition is based on three new buildings – a municipal office, an apartment building, and an apartment building with a community clubhouse. Together, they define the village square without completely enclosing it, creating an open and permeable centre that naturally connects to the surrounding village structure. The existing chapel becomes an integral part of the composition, acting as a fourth element within the ensemble.
The proposal also includes a village garden, trees, gathering spaces and water features, which together create an environment used throughout the day by different generations and groups of residents.
||| new buildings, new village square, new identity
A Journey Through the Place
The proposal is based on a simple sequence of public spaces. A new pedestrian route leads from the main road into the centre of the site. Visitors gradually enter the village square, pass between the municipal buildings and the village garden, and continue towards St. Bedřich Chapel.
The individual spaces are linked together in a natural sequence, each offering a distinct atmosphere – from the open public square, through the quieter garden spaces, to the elevated area around the chapel with views of the surrounding landscape.
This journey through the site and the spatial relationships between its individual parts form the central theme of the proposal.
||| sequence of spaces, movement through the site, spatial experience
The Village Square
The village square forms the natural focal point of the entire proposal. While it accommodates community events and celebrations, it is designed primarily as a place for everyday village life. Trees, water features, shade, seating and open gathering areas create an environment where residents of all generations can meet and spend time together. The public space is complemented by a village garden with perennial planting beds and quiet places for rest and relaxation.
||| trees, water, gathering
Architecture of the Village Square
The architectural form of the new buildings is based on the archetype of the traditional rural house and draws inspiration from the character of the buildings that once occupied the site. Simple, compact volumes with pitched roofs respond in scale and proportion to the surrounding development, creating a natural transition between the historic village structure and contemporary architecture.
A key design feature is the arcade integrated into the municipal office and the community clubhouse. Here, the public space partially extends into the buildings, forming sheltered transitional spaces protected from both sun and rain. These arcades expand the usable area of the square and create a natural connection between exterior and interior spaces.
The architectural expression is defined by simplicity, proportion and the rhythm of the façades. Deeply recessed windows, dormers facing the square and a restrained colour palette reinforce the compact character of the buildings while creating a subtle interplay of light and shadow. Each building is conceived as part of the overall composition of the site.
||| simplicity, light, greenery, space
Municipal Office
The new municipal office forms the northern edge of the village square and accommodates the administrative facilities of the municipality. Facing the public space, the building is complemented by an arcade that extends the usable area of the square and creates a natural transition between the exterior and interior. The building is designed as an integral part of the new village centre and provides fully accessible access.
||| service to the community, accessibility
A Place for Gathering
The community clubhouse complements the village centre by providing space for social, cultural and educational activities. The building can accommodate local associations, small events, learning programmes and other functions that may evolve according to the future needs of the community.
Together with the village square, it creates an open and welcoming environment that encourages everyday interaction and community life.
||| clubhouse, education
Housing in the Village Centre
The proposal includes municipal rental housing designed for different generations of residents. Ground-floor apartments provide comfortable living for seniors and people with reduced mobility, while the upper floor accommodates larger family apartments.
The housing is located directly within the village square, encouraging everyday interaction between residents and public life while fostering a vibrant intergenerational community.
||| rental housing, seniors, accessible apartments
A Place for Living
The individual elements of the site are designed to work together as a cohesive whole, creating a place for everyday life, social interaction and the natural development of community relationships.
||| village garden, arcades
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