Czech Republic

Posts tagged
with Czech Republic

Design

Don’t Look Down! The World’s Longest Suspension Bridge Opens in the Czech Republic

Sky Bridge 721 opened earlier this month in the Czech Republic and is claiming its title as the longest suspension walkway in the world, a record held previously by a similar design in Portugal. Strung between two peaks of the Kralicky Snezník mountain, the pedestrian path stretches an incredible 721 meters and reaches 95 meters above ground at its highest point. Two years in the making, the steel construction weighs 450 tons and relies on 66 ropes for support. For the fearless, height-loving adventurers wanting to take the nearly half-mile trek over the Mlýnský Stream valley, the Dolní Morava resort is coordinating access and tours. (via designboom)

 

Design

Circular Vaults Embedded within a Prague Embankment Contain Shops, Cafes, and Public Spaces

New cafes, galleries, and studios are popping up along the Vltava River in Prague, although they’re not immediately visible from atop the embankment. Tucked inside former storage units embedded within the structure itself are several tunnel-like spaces redesigned for public use. Appearing like glass-doored portals lining the waterfront, the multi-purpose project is part of the Czech city’s efforts to revitalize a four-kilometer swath of the riverbank, which previously served as a parking lot, and are the undertaking of architect Petr Janda who helms the Prague-based studio Brainwork.

Each vaulted venue contains concrete walls and flooring and gleaming stainless steel that reflects its surroundings. Six circular tunnels are designated for shops and galleries feature large, elliptical doors in glass, while the other 14 spaces are marked with a sculptural entrance, hiding the remaining area occupied by private tenants or used for public bathrooms from view. “The interventions symbiotically merge with the original architecture of the riverside wall, into which they naturally fuse,” Janda told designboom. “By using the acupuncture strategy, they re-create a monumental whole.”

Head to Instagram to find preliminary sketches for the redesign and to follow Brainwork’s future projects.

 

Design

A Picturesque Mountaintop Skywalk in the Czech Republic with a 330 Foot Slide Down

Extended over a cliff nearly 3,600 feet above sea level rests the Dolni Morava Sky Walk, a looping structure that allows visitors the opportunity to peek their heads into the clouds. Extending like an old-fashioned roller coaster from the Králický Sněžník mountain in the Czech Republic, the architectural destination features panoramic views of the Morava river and Krkonoše Mountains.

Produced by Fránek Architects, the wood and steel walkway was designed to blend into the existing environment rather than upset the appearance of its natural surroundings. With a subtle slope and wide pathway, the structure also accommodates those in wheelchairs and strollers who want to explore the top.

Unlike glass-bottom feats of architecture like China’s Haohan Qiao bridge and Chicago’s Willis Tower, the Sky Walk features a far more terrifying mesh floor that allows brave visitors to lay at the peak of the structure. In addition to this daredevil net, the walkway also features a 330 foot slide within its core, a streamlined metal chute that’s nearly 18 stories tall. You can read more about the Sky Walk’s concept on Frànek Architects’ site here. (via Dezeen)

Photography

Wind-Swept Frost Blankets Tree Trunks in a Czech Forest

Photographer Jan Bainar was hiking through the Beskydy Mountains last week, a range that forms the border between Slovakia and the Czech Republic, when he stumbled onto something spectacular. Low temperatures, high winds, and a bit of precipitation caused frost to form on one side of the tree trunks through the entire forest. Any meteorologists want to chime in on this? Is this the same thing as hoar frost or frost flowers? Something different? You can see more of Bainar’s landscape photography over on 500px. Photo courtesy the photographer.

Photography

Cloud Forest: Landscape Photos of the Misty Czech Bohemian Forest by Kilian Schönberger

It’s fascinating to know while looking at these desaturated images of the Czech Bohemian Forest that the person who shot them, Cologne-based photographer Kilian Schönberger, is color blind. One can’t help but wonder if the condition leads to a greater appreciation for light and composition present in these mysterious, fog-soaked landscapes. That said, these particular monochromatic photos from Schönberger’s Cloud Forest series are more of an exception, as he generally shoots in full color, but the results are equally as magical. You can see much more of his work over on Facebook and Behance. (via Faith is Torment)

Photography

Forests Drenched in Light and Fog by Boguslaw Strempel

In that brief window of time when the foggy remnants of night clash with the rays of early morning sun, photographer Boguslaw Strempel positions himself atop high mountain peaks to capture these beautiful landscapes around Poland and the Czech Republic. See many more photos here. (via my modern met)