Červený Kostelec is a Czech town of eight thousand inhabitants close to the border with Poland. One of its main public spaces is the area in between two school buildings, including an important Czech interwar architecture by Josef Gočár. The public space was recently revitalised by 2021 architects in collaboration with LABAK. The project was based on their winning competition proposal from 2016.

The public space is neither a square nor a park. It is a multipurpose space with various functional requirements that must coexist. The main goals of its revitalisation were to support the interaction with the surrounding buildings, to reorganise the ratio between the paved and unpaved surfaces, both while preserving the original function of the memorial site, serving as a forecourt for the theatre building in the north. The architects managed to create a space for different types of users and introduce a new point into the urban green infrastructure.

The new public space thus consists of two diametrically different environments - a cheerful children‘s playground and a much calmer rearranged monument. The newly built pavilion to the south acts as a buffer that separates the public space from the main road. The pavilion is oriented in an orthogonal system, which creates the necessary space for a parking lot. Its location also allows a view of the neoclassical building, which houses part of the municipal office and a kindergarten. The pavilion was designed to accommodate a small gastro establishment, public toilets and covered bike racks.

Right next to the pavilion is a kids playground with a modelled terrain, a fountain and seating, organised in a way that does not block any of the important pedestrian routes or views. The playground immediately became very popular among the children, so it was necessary to reset the operating hours of the fountain to after school only.

The northern half of the public space is more formal, concentrated around a memorial by a local sculptor. It was originally used to commemorate the victims of the First World War, then the victims of the Second World War were added, and the monument was reinstalled in 1946. The composition of the sidewalks, paved areas and furniture is symmetrical. The quieter nature of the space with the seating configuration made it suitable for outdoor teaching. Within a few months of its opening, the school‘s teachers and students adopted it.

The addition of the roof over the entrance to the adjacent elementary school was designed in a way that corresponds in shape and material with the original building, making it look as it had always been there.

In terms of planting, the species composition is a selection of non-allergenic trees that are able to withstand urban conditions and naturally occur in the given region. As is often the case with landscape projects, it will take several more years for the planted trees to reach the height and shape. The added tree line (Acer platanoides) will create an extension of the street along the road. The planted cherry trees (Prunus avium ‘Plena’) together with the existing willows (Betula pendula ´Nana´) will enhance the reverent atmosphere and the trees around the playground (Acer campestre, Koelreuteria paniculata) will provide the necessary shade.