Czech studio Mjölk Architekti has created The Guard Patrol, 4 viewpoints on the Stráž mountain above the city of Rokytnice that reference the figures in its coat of arms.
The 4 towers characterize three animals – a fox, bear and sheep – in addition to a miner, that are all characters from the Rokytnice coat of arms and based mostly on the names of the 4 Czech villages that have been mixed to kind the city.
The Guard Patrol lookouts, that are accessible by way of a mountain climbing path, are positioned on the Stráž mountain and designed by Mjölk Architekti to let folks respect the environment.
They have been commissioned by the municipality of Rokytnice nad Jizerou and provides higher entry to areas that have been beforehand tough to succeed in.
“A part of the philosophy of this and different related initiatives was to attract folks to much less frequented locations like this and away from the over-touristed areas of mountains,” Mjölk Architekti senior architect Tobiáš Hrabec informed Dezeen.
“For the reason that completion, it has develop into a extra frequented place by each guests and locals,” he added. “A number of marriage ceremony ceremonies already passed off on the lookouts as nicely.”
The primary of the lookouts is The Fox, which measures 17 sq. metres. It sits on a cliff overlooking Rokytnice and has an extended physique with a “tail” that stands proud into the valley.
It additionally has a smaller viewpoint subsequent to it, generally known as The Cub.
The Fox is adopted by The Bear, which may be discovered within the woods close by. The 14-square-metre viewpoint has a sq. physique on 4 leg-like pillars, depicting a bear midstride.
Additional alongside the path sits the nine-square-metre platform known as The Sheep, which additionally has 4 legs however appears to be standing nonetheless, overlooking the forest.
After seeing The Sheep, guests must cross a footbridge to succeed in The Miner.
This measures 10 sq. metres and is the tallest of the lookouts at 9 metres excessive. It additionally sits 782 metres above sea degree, which is the best altitude of all of the buildings.
In addition to creating higher views for walkers, the challenge additionally nods to historic buildings within the space. The Stráž mountain was one of many locations the place invasions by enemy armies have been signalled from lookout towers to warn folks.
“(A) extra philosophical level is to ‘inhabit’ the panorama with objects and thus make it extra coherent, becoming a member of in with the lengthy custom of constructing lookout towers within the Jizera and Krkonoše mountains which works again to the nineteenth century,” Hrabec stated.
“Lastly, the reference to the city’s heraldry and historical past goals to strengthen the native identification of the native municipality and its residents.”
The areas of The Guard Patrol lookouts, which have metal buildings with oak cladding, have been principally inaccessible by automotive or heavy equipment.
To unravel this logistical difficulty, Mjölk Architekti designed the 4 towers to be constructed from smaller elements that could possibly be carried from the closest highway.
The metal buildings are positioned into the rocks utilizing particular metal anchors and sit in drill holes which might be as much as eight metres deep.
“The terrain on the web site was a little bit of a problem,” Hrabec stated.
“The contractor was an organization, STRIX Chomutov, that focuses on working in sophisticated terrain corresponding to stabilizations of rocky slopes, and their skilled strategy was completely important.”
Mjölk Architekti has beforehand designed one other lookout, the Cucumber Tower, for a rural web site alongside a Czech mountain vary known as the Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge.
The studio additionally not too long ago added a “glittering glass extension” to a wood cabin.
The images is by Boys Play Good.
Venture credit score:
Structure: Mjölk Architekti and Pavlína Müllerová
Normal contractor: Strix
Statics: Recoc
