Consequence forma architects revitalizes a run-down city park in Brno

Czech architectural studio Consequence forma architects has revitalized the Moravian Square Park in Brno, the capital of Moravia in the eastern Czech Republic. A key part of the project includes a blue-green infrastructure.

Located in Brno’s historic center, the run-down Moravian Square had been in a state of neglect for a number of years — its spatial arrangement was particularly impractical and did not encourage use of the park. The revitalization project was commissioned by the Office of the Municipal District of Brno-střed (a district in the center of Brno). The project brief placed an emphasis on creating a park as a recreational and leisure facility for the city. Landscape architect Klára Zahradníčková contributed to the final landscape design.

A circular promenade runs beneath the park’s mature perimeter trees and includes a series of wooden benches. The promenade is intersected at various intervals by pedestrian pathways — a wide main pathway and smaller radial paths — that connect to a newly created central “urban arena”. The circular promenade is also complemented by small grass-covered trails. The urban arena is a prominent new public space — at its heart is a fountain and water mirror with a 30-meter (approx. 98 feet) diameter. The arena is bordered by a huge Jatoba wood bench in four sections that invites people to sit. The water is especially attractive on warm summer days — a playground for children and adults alike, it is nicknamed “The Brno Sea”.

In its approach to the revitalization of Moravian Square Park, Consequence forma sought to reinvigorate various unused areas. The studio included a cafe and children’s play area in the park’s northern section. “The cafe pavilion acts as an interface between the park and the city, reinforcing the urban character of the otherwise traffic-heavy Koliště Street,” says the studio. “[This] is gradually evolving into an urban boulevard.” The cafe and its terrace concludes the circular promenade.

An eight-meter-tall (approx. 26 feet) polished stainless steel ellipse intersects — and supports — the cafe roof. A hole cut in the semi-transparent roof allows a tree to pass through. The cafe is a steel structure with a weathering steel facade. A neon sign on one rusty side reads “Budoucnost” (meaning “Future”) and is described by Consequence forma as evoking the "theme of reflection, beginnings, and subtle questions related to our society.”

The park’s design incorporates shaded grassy meadow areas that offer quiet spaces along the circular promenade and provide a contrast to the lively cafe, children’s play area, and water feature. “A protected habitat is created by flowers, shrubs, and trees, shaping an oasis of tranquility and safety,” says the studio. A tree trunk that was cut down for health reasons now provides a place to sit and play.

A blue-green infrastructure

The Moravian Square Park is designed with a blue-green infrastructure. Here, a network of water and green areas creates an ecosystem that provides a number of ecological benefits, including: flood mitigation, the enhancement of biodiversity, an improvement in air quality, and a reduction in the urban heat island effect. “These nature-inspired measures maximize rainwater retention within the park, allowing it to safely infiltrate the ground and provide better support to the vegetation,” explains Consequence forma. “During hot days, the park and its surroundings enjoy a favorable microclimate, which is also enhanced by the fountain feature and its cooling mist nozzles.” Blue-green infrastructure helps in tackling urban and climate challenges.

“The park’s paved surfaces are sloped, directing water into gravel swales and gravel furrow systems. A portion of the rainwater is used for watering the floodplain bed, trees in the gravel, or the strip on the northern edge of the park,” says the studio. “Three types of habitat respecting hydric conditions include depressions, uplands, and a transitional zone.” Overflow from the fountain is collected in an underground storage facility (part of an engine room for the fountain). Greenery in the park includes non-native species with a climate change tolerance. The park’s herbaceous edging is a prominent feature that creates a protective border.