The aim of the proposal is to contribute to the discussion on the revitalization of aging buildings from the second half of the 20th century, seeking new purposes while preserving their architecture.
Olomouc has a green belt formed by parks in the area of the former city walls. In one of them, Smetana Gardens, behind the large Flora Olomouc greenhouse, stands a pair of exhibition pavilions from the 1970s. They are underutilized, and the park here lacks vitality.
The proposal is a complete transformation of the pavilion into a kindergarten (two groups for small children) with an outdoor playground and a small café. The neighboring Botanical Garden will be accessed through a new entrance. This passage will connect the nearby housing estate, and the entire area of the park will come to life. The entrance will be accentuated by the café. In the evenings, the playrooms will be used for adult exercise classes.
The transformation of the pavilion and its surroundings is designed with respect for the original solution, including the surrounding soft topography. The character of the exhibition pavilion—namely, an open layout with slender steel columns, delicate glazing with invisible frames, and a massive ceiling truss—is a reference to Mies van der Rohe's National Gallery in Berlin, adapted to the regional context. With this awareness and the need for a complex layout, a new function for the building has been proposed.
The design retains the steel structure (columns and truss), while everything else is new. The original frames of the simple glazing will be recycled as railings for the outdoor playground. The original marble flooring will be preserved in the café, themed around the Flora Olomouc gardening exhibition. In the center of the deep layout of the pavilion, a green atrium is proposed. The entire interior will be unified with skylights, achieving a connection to the spacious environment typical of exhibition use of the pavilion. The two playrooms will be equipped with built-in furniture that will also serve as part of a playhouse for children.