Hradec Králové’s Velké náměstí (Great Square) is currently dominated by cars. This large parking area in the historic city centre has been the scene of clashing opinions regarding the square’s current and future use. On the one hand are voices in favour of preserving parking and in support of car traffic, while on the other hand there is an interest in designing public space for people and their daily activities. Czech society has generally cherished its cars and placed them on an untouchable pedestal, but there is currently debate throughout the country as to whether public space should be more accommodating to people or to cars.
The situation in Hradec Králové is an eloquent and vocal example of this strong conflict of opinion, for the issue concerns the main historical square of a city which claims the prestigious title of “City of Queens” and which has traditionally, in reference to its local architectural heritage, called itself the “Salon of the Republic”. In response to this question of who and what public space is truly meant to serve, the Archwerk architectural studio presents Corral, a temporary artwork installed on Velké náměstí until mid-September 2025. Reminiscent of a watchtower, the installation tightly encircles the square’s Art Nouveau fountain. From this four-metre-high structure made of wooden boards, visitors can observe the square’s problematic features from a new vantage point.
Inspiration for This intervention in the city’s public space came from the Corral del Carbón in Granada, Spain. This archetypal structure with a three-storey gallery surrounding a square courtyard symbolises the shared architectural heritage of the Mediterranean cultures that for centuries shaped our architecture. Over the years, the 14th-century building has served as an agricultural building, a theatre and a coal store with accommodations along the galleries. Its use as a coal storage facility gave it its current name (Corral del Carbón = Courtyard of Coal). At the centre of the courtyard is a fountain that provides refreshment for all without distinction. With this famous building in mind, Studio Archwerk has created its own “courtyard for Hradec” and placed it around the main square’s remaining area for people to gather, meaning the area around the Art Nouveau fountain.
The fountain on the square never actually served as a water feature. Intended as a decorative object, it features Art Nouveau grillwork with floral ornament made at the workshop of the local Vocational School for Artistic Metalwork. The grillwork was designed in 1900 by Professor Sedr and crafted by the school’s students and master teachers. It was shown at a 1901 Vienna exhibition of works from arts and crafts vocational schools, after which it was presented to the city of Hradec Králové and installed on a stone pedestal on the main square. The “fountain” thus represents a unique contribution to our knowledge of the history of local craftsmanship.
The Spanish word corral means the same as in English: an enclosure, usually for animals. It thus evokes images of a fenced-in and protected place. Fencing in a space is not necessarily a negative thing. Fencing or boundaries can also be seen as a defining framework that turns an inconspicuous element into an object worthy of our attention. By framing the space around the Art Nouveau fountain on Hradec Králové’s main square, Archwerk’s installation Corral places this half-forgotten urban feature in the centre of events. The previously overlooked fountain suddenly becomes “visible” for passers-by, even though the installation hides a part of it. From the installation’s open side, it becomes the public space’s gem, with the decorative metal grillwork contrasting distinctly against the minimalist wooden structure. On the other side, it is temporarily augmented by a lookout platform from which viewers can assess the state of the square’s public space.
Studio Archwerk.cz is architects Martin Kloda and Hana Procházková, whose approach to architecture is founded on structural and technical simplicity, the use of natural materials and site-specific design. Typical characteristics of their work include the use of standard-sized lumber without any further processing. Corral was made from nothing but wooden boards with a 3 × 9 cm profile. Defining principles that influenced the piece’s creation were the idea of self-sufficiency and the ability to realise projects oneself, with the aim of enriching a specific place and the local community.
The event is included in the programme of the celebration of 800 years since the first mention of Hradec Králové. The main partner is the Statutory City of Hradec Králové.
