Zprávy památkové péče 2016, 76(3):289-298

Most, the modern housing estate of North Bohemian miners, part II: Building and final construction of the new Most

Jana Zajoncová

In the 1970's, the city of Most became a direct demonstrative example of the clash between two opposing urban concepts that significantly affected the core areas of the new city. This was a criticism of the hitherto promoted ideal of a functionally zoned city, based on the principles declared by the CIAM organization in 1928 and elaborated in the Athens Charter five years later, in the context of new theories advocated since the early sixties by Kevin Lynch, Christian Norberg-Schulz, and Michael Trieb.
The main focus of conflict of these ideas lay in the concept of the center of Most that originated mainly in the sixties, when the principles of CIAM were being strictly enforced. The implementation of these plans, however, for reasons of supply, financial, and material deficiencies of Czechoslovak construction dragged on for years, sometimes for decades. At the time of completion so it was obvious that environment shaped thus far did not satisfy the required demands. This fact was demonstrated in 1978 by the research project "Picture of the city of Most" by Jiří Ševčík, Ivana Bendová, and Jan Benda. Specific attempts to recover the urbanity to the city can be seen in the unrealized study for the completion the c enter of Most by Jiří Kučera and Jaroslav Ouřecký for the competition Urbanity 86.
The article also focused on individual buildings that are worth consideration in terms of future monument protection: The Iva Klimeš theater building and the chapel of St. Wenceslas by Michael Sborwitz. Both buildings in their entirety represent good examples of contemporary architectural currents that bear comparison with historical peak productions exceeding the horizons of Czechoslovakia.

Keywords: city of Most; architecture of the second half of the 20th century; Ivo Klimeš; Athens Charter

Published: September 1, 2016  Show citation