A walking alley in the park. This is how our neighbours arrange their public space

The Park of Memories is located in the town of Aš in the Czech Republic. An attractive walking avenue for staying among the greenery was created there. The project was prepared by architects from the SOA architekti studio and Ateliér KONCEPT. The designers laid out the paths in such a way as to reduce the amount of concrete surface and to merge the infrastructure with nature.

Aš is a town of around 13,000 inhabitants in western Bohemia, and is the westernmost town in the country. Within the city, there is the Park of Memories. It is a place to discover the history of the city and uses modern technology to do so. The Park of Memories has been designed to be used by users of the Time Trip mobile app, which offers visitors a glimpse into the city’s past and provides information in the form of interactive points on a map of the park.

When designing the walking paths, the architects proposed creating a gradual transition from the urbanised park space around Goethe Square to the forest park located on Okružní Street. This created an architectural composition that gradually gives way to nature.

One of the points of remembrance in the park is a reminder of the history of the old cemetery, which was destroyed in the 1970s.

The loss of cultural and historical values during this event is reflected in the Historical Park, where a memorial in the form of a granite block has been created, the project authors describe.

It is a flat memorial that consists of a collection of stone blocks of different sizes with special recesses where candles can be placed. It is also a place for people from Germany to remember their ancestors at this site.

As part of the project, the oldest stone bridge in the city, which connects the old and new parts of the Lutheran cemetery, has been restored. Importantly, the work at the site was preceded by archaeological investigations, during which old graves, human remains and the remains of buildings were discovered. The uncovered historic cellars, which are several tens of metres long, will become a venue for cultural events.

As part of the new infrastructure, a path with a footbridge was built. The unusual combination of steel and timber construction has created a winding structure that runs between the trees, and the materials used make the whole fit well into the landscape of the site. The man-made architecture here is just a backdrop to nature. The path does not touch the surface of the historic cemetery.

design: SOA architekti, Ateliér KONCEPT

photos: Alex Shoots Buildings, www.alexshootsbuildings.com

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