ArchiCAD-designed fountains grace European Capital of Culture

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BUDAPEST — The City of Pilsen’s coat-of-arms served as the inspiration for three monumental fountains constructed on Republic Square. The figures of the camel, the greyhound, and the angel were the initial concepts. Constructed in 2010 following a two-stage competition, the fountains have come to represent Pilsen’s future role as a 2015 European Capital of Culture.

Designed by Ondrej Cisler using ArchiCAD, the fountains were placed in the historical context of Republic Square. The oblong square is defined by the Gothic Cathedral of St. Bartholomew towers and a Baroque Plague Pole located in one corner of the Square. The architect’s proposal was to complement the remaining three empty corners of the square.

Despite the monumental scale of the fountains, the architect was able to create a presence without dominating the square or the existing architecture on the square.

“I created a 3D model of the entire square to be able to evaluate the scale of the individual spouts of the fountains, which was essential to the task,” Cisler said. “The model gave us the feedback we needed to be able to comfortably move forward with the execution.”

The fountains enrich the open space with the important element of water, recalling the historic practice of ‘wasserkasten,’ which were large basins of water left for public usage. By incorporating the elements found in Pilsen’s coat-of-arms in the fountains’ design, Cisler has met the challenge of combining contemporary art with a distinct expression of continuity and tradition.