The lookout was developed as the result of a student assignment at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague as part of a design-build project.
Design-build is a teaching method in which students not only design a project but also implement their own design—from the first
sketch to the full-scale construction. In this way, they learn to work with materials, structural design, budgeting, and the site itself.
The project was developed in collaboration with the city of Bílina as a contribution to the enhancement of the Chlum Hill landscape and as a place to pause, take in the view, and meet others.


Movement. Through movement, we reach the very summit of Chlum and the observation deck, from where we can view the city and the landscape. But what if the observation deck itself were a form of movement?
Once visitors reach the summit, the observation deck allows them to continue along a footbridge and approach the view above the treetops. At the end of the footbridge is a winch; when turned, the footbridge begins to rotate along its supporting structure. The movement of the footbridge then opens up not just the single view we initially came to see, but a whole range of perspectives. By rotating the footbridge, visitors can direct their attention toward the castle, Bořeň rock formation, the town square, and the town hall tower, or further out to Kaňkov and the surrounding countryside.
The footbridge’s structure is a simple truss made of tubular profiles, which also serve as railings fitted with steel mesh that does not obstruct the view. The walkway, made of wooden planks, then leads us to a crank, which, thanks to its gear mechanism, allows even a child to slowly rotate the footbridge to the desired view.

The observation deck is divided into two parts (separate prefabricated assemblies)—the upper movable structure and the lower supporting structure. The upper structure refers to the footbridge, which is 10,000 mm long and 1,100 mm wide. The lower support structure is fixed and consists of inverted V-shaped tubes arranged in a segmented arch with a radius of 6,690 mm. In total, there are 6 non-standard columns, spaced 2,190 mm apart. The lower structure has a total span of 9,890 mm.