Dům kultury Inwest Cultural centre

Welcome to the center of Pilsen, the place where the American class and Dennis' waterfront meet today. You are standing in a place that still evokes strong memories in many people, even though your eyes now see something completely different than what stood there a few years ago. You see the space in front of you, where Dům kultury Inwest was located, in earlier times known as House of Culture ROH. It's a strange feeling to be standing in a place where the city was dominated and yet never to see it again. Try to imagine for a moment that you're going back in time, because right here was one of the most significant structures of your time, which, in its form and size, controlled this whole corner of the street.

Now let's move on to how this journey began. The first dig into the ground, the first dig, took place in the year nine hundred and eighty. It was a time when the city developed at a different pace and a new centre for culture and social meetings was being sought. The design of the construction was worked by recognized creators, namely Miloslav Hrubec, Pavel Němeček and Jaroslav Holler. Their aim was to create a space that would serve as a modern cultural and conference centre. After several years of construction, the big day came when the building was opened in the year nine hundred and eighty-six. Since then, this building has become an essential part of the Pilsen painting.

Now, if you look around you, try to reconstruct the appearance of the building in spirit. It was carried out in a late brutalist style, which means it was betting on raw, massive and bold shapes. If you were now looking for details that you should take care of, focus on geometry. The main and dominant element of the whole design was the triangle. This shape wasn't just that detail, but it affected everything. The triangle dictated the floor plan of the entire building, influenced the layout of the inner space and determined the form of the surrounding space. So imagine a massive, angular object, which was perceived by everyone who walked through here.

The inner spaces were designed to accommodate a huge number of people. The main heart of the building was a large hall that could accommodate up to 2,000 spectators. Imagine the energy and noise when the hall was full. There was also a smaller hall for two hundred and sixty people, which served for more intimate meetings or lectures. It was this combination of large and small space that made the building a universal center for important urban meetings.

Now pay attention to the people who have been closely linked to this place. The building was not just a concrete box, but it lived by artists and creators. One of the key personalities associated with this place was Miroslav Horníček. The Miroslav Horníček Theatre was housed in the premises of the house, which in the year two thousand became a separate organization. So imagine how modern architecture with live theatre, play and emotions intermingled in these brutalist spaces. It was where the Pilsen public met, where art was discussed and new dramaturgical visions were created.

You may now be wondering why this building is no longer visible. In fact, the history of this place holds one interesting thing, which is very unusual in terms of urban planning. This extensive building was built on the area where the gardens were previously located. It's fascinating to realize that this particular place in the entire history of the city has never been built by any other building before. The gardens have thus turned into a concrete dominant that has ruled for decades. However, even the biggest buildings have their end. In the spring of the year two thousand and twelve the building was demolished. So one of the most striking forms of Pilsen brutalism disappeared, and so did the triangular geometry that defined this corner of the city for so long.

When you stand in this place today, feel the atmosphere of the transition. It's a place where the memory of older generations collides with the new face of the city. Although you can no longer enter the halls where Miroslav Horníček played, or admire the bold shapes of the architects Hrubek, German and Holler, the history of this place remains within us. It's a reminder of how our perception of beauty changes and how quickly something that we thought was eternal can disappear.

Thank you for stopping by this invisible yet present piece of Pilsen history. I hope that this journey in time helped you and that you could imagine what this space looked like in times of its greatest glory. Now invited to further explore the surroundings. Pilsen has his own history in every corner, waiting to be rediscovered. We wish you a pleasant continuation of your trips around the city and enjoy the rest of the day. Goodbye.