Aleš South Bohemian Gallery

We design the gallery as a distinctive standalone building whose scale and composition respond to the surrounding development. Vertical lines refer to the character of the important buildings on Senovážné náměstí, while the layering and rotation of the individual volumes create new spatial relationships. We rotate the middle volume by 25° towards the city’s landmarks, creating a characteristic silhouette complemented by terraces and views into the city. The monumentality of the building is lightened by a transparent ground floor and a unifying textile façade.

We see the textile façade not merely as an architectural envelope, but also as a dynamic medium for presenting art. Its surface allows curated works to be printed on it, current exhibitions to be communicated visually and evening projections to be cast towards the park. The gallery thus enters into a dialogue with the public even before a visit to the exhibition itself, extending the exhibition space into the city.

We design the exhibition spaces as a generous and flexible environment allowing various forms of presenting art. The reinforced concrete load-bearing system frees up the layout and allows the individual floors to be connected through rooflights and spatial openings. These create the conditions for installing large-scale works and for new visual relationships between exhibitions. Narrow views of České Budějovice become part of the visitor experience and naturally connect art with the city.

We open the transparent ground floor with a café and a multifunctional hall towards the square, the park and the Mlýnská stoka mill race. We complement the public space with movable furniture, seating steps and water features that support its everyday use as well as the staging of cultural events. A colourful paving pattern inspired by the work of Mikoláš Aleš connects the gallery with the square and refers to its cultural identity.