The Fort Šibenik site in Olomouc could be described, in a metaphorical sense, as a place marked “Hic sunt leones” – a blank and unknown area on the mental map of the city. Physically present, yet socially and functionally absent, it represented a forgotten fragment of the urban fabric.
The project explores how such “white spots” can be transformed into living parts of the city by introducing new functions, new energy and new meaning into structures that have lost their original purpose.
Like many European cities, Olomouc is shaped by strong historical layers – in this case, a system of baroque fortifications. Rather than treating these structures as static heritage, the project seeks to unlock their potential as active parts of the contemporary city.
The ambition is not simply to preserve, but to transform. To take a defensive, inward-looking structure with thick walls and limited access to light, and gradually turn it into an open, living environment. This includes introducing housing, a school already operating on site, and a mix of small-scale functions such as ateliers, workshops, offices and wellness facilities. A particularly distinctive element is the integration of housing directly within the roof structure of the fortress, where new apartments are carefully embedded so that they remain invisible from the outside, preserving the historical silhouette while increasing residential capacity.
Within the fortress, new public spaces are emerging – streets, squares and shared areas – forming what can be described as a “micro-city”. At the same time, the surrounding brownfield areas, including former industrial halls, are being reimagined: some adapted for new uses, others replaced by a new urban structure that reconnects fragmented parts of the city.
The project works with what is already there. Instead of demolition, it builds on existing structures, reuses materials and reinterprets spatial qualities. Even elements that might seem limiting – such as underground water or overgrown areas – are turned into assets, for example as part of a sauna and natural landscape.
This approach reflects a broader question relevant across Europe: how to give new life to inherited structures and use them to shape future urban development. In this case, the transformation of the fortress creates not only a new place to live, work and meet, but also a new local centre that reconnects the historic core with previously isolated areas.
The project demonstrates that heritage can be a starting point for contemporary urban life – not a constraint, but a resource.
Construction site: Třída Jiřího Pelikána 1401/1c, Olomouc
Authors: ječmen studio / Eva Blažková, Lukáš Blažek
Investor: private
Collaborators: Lucie Vyhlídalová, Jan Skoček, Vojtěch Jemelka, Anna Václavková, Nela Vicanová
Site area: 65,500 m²
Public park area: 31,000 m²
Built-up area – existing condition: 12,600 m²
Built-up area – planned condition: 15,600 m²
Project: 2018–2020, some parts ongoing
Photography: ječmen studio, Pavel Vrzala