New Vision for the Military Hospital: Integrative Hub Project
The proposed project is to repurpose an unused military hospital brownfield in Josefov, a city in the Czech Republic, into an Integrative Hub focused on environmental and cultural associations and values. The hub will include a reuse center for waste management, an art workplace for art forms using waste and upcycling, and spaces for educational stays and workshops. The project aims to connect current tourism centers in Josefov and is expected to connect nature and history in a new way.
Local
Czechia
Královéhradecký kraj (region)
Hradbická aglomerace (agglomeration)
Jaroměř (city)
Josefov (part of the city)
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
As individual(s) in partnership with organisation(s)
First name: Tomáš Last name: Jirouch Gender: Male Please describe the type of organization(s) you work in partnership with: Non-profit international non-governmental organizations
Non-profit non-governmental organizations
Municipal agencies
Age: 25 Please attach a copy of your national ID/residence card:
By ticking this box, I certify that the information regarding my age is factually correct. : Yes Nationality: Czechia Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Truhlářská 236 Town: Hradec Králové Postal code: 503 41 Country: Czechia Direct Tel:+420 777 016 761 E-mail:j.thomas@centrum.cz
This project aims to propose new ways of using a former military hospital for 1 200 patients in the so-called Fortified Ideal City (FIC) of Josefov in Eastern Bohemia (Czech Republic). As the 2nd largest brownfield in this former fortress, the military hospital has already experienced several projects that would ensure its further use. Unfortunately, none have been implemented so far, mainly due to the high investment costs. This project of Integrative Hub offers new ways to use the enormous complex, using the principles of aesthetic, integrative, socially, and environmentally beneficial transformation. The plan is to offer the building to public and local associations through partial reconstruction and the principle Open the Gates! As a result, new spaces for Josefov´s environmental and historical clubs and their public activities will be opened. For the visitors, the new "adjusted historical park" will be free to use. Taking care of the hospital will improve the site's ecological values and increase the overall quality of life in the territory, contributing to public health, tourism interest, and the overall aesthetic impression of the locality.
The New European Bauhaus initiative conditions brought to life by the European Commission inspired the principals. This project also shares its universal codes based on the current reflection of Josefov brownfields using the most relevant transnational networks of European fortified heritage like Forte Cultura or EFFORTS.
brownfields
conflicts of environemental and cultural values
public greenery system
reuse, trash art, upcycling
inclusive and ecological
Previously, it was proposed to use the hospital as an accommodation space (convalescent center, prison, hospital, etc.). This project envisages using the part of the building just for non-residential premises. The main activities would take place in days, especially in the summer, when Josefov is the center of tourism under favorable climatic conditions. Thus, the set-up of this project allows relatively minimal energy consumption in the hospital compared to the previous proposals.
It is sometimes practiced to heat just one floor of a building in Josefov, and the second floor is neither heated nor used for living. The only heated space in the Integrative Hub would be the rooms on the ground floor, earmarked for office space for the associations and workshops for the reuse and upcycling center. The first floor, as mentioned, will be reconstructed, but it will serve mainly in summer. Additionally, I propose locating the Integrative Hub to the south wing of the hospital. Several filming productions left their scenes untouched in the south wing on the first floor. This would be an excellent opportunity to combine the current cultural values of the hospital, the potential of tourism, openness to the public, and respect for energy-saving sustainability ambitions. To add, the Integrative Hub could use the first floor for summer exhibitions. I call this principle "it is unnecessary to use the building all the time." This thinking can inspire other brownfields and give other fortresses a guideline for synthesizing different values, needs, and interests.
In terms of ecology, the project wants to raise the total amount of greenery growing in the hospital courtyards. There is also a proposal to make a small raindrop reservoir. But, the Integrative Hub reason alone is essentially sustainable, as it offers soft improvements in society, mainly in the fields of environmental education, cooperation, and historical convergence, raising public awareness of the topics.
In practice, the project aims to open the hospital's courtyards to the public and create an accessible, pleasant, and aesthetic environment combining the historical building, its use, and the greenery in the courtyards (Open the Gates! principal).
The courtyards and interior of the hospital are currently in poor condition. The project intends to establish an "adjusted historical park" as part of the Integrative Hub, addressing the fortress's environmental challenges and regaining its former historical appearance. This will result in the courtyard being converted into a public park with added innovative features such as a rainwater reservoir. Additionally, the project aims to link the hospital courtyards to the peripheral defense zones with large areas of vegetation and, at the same time, with the existing downtown parks. Thanks to this, one big public greenery ecosystem will appear.
Furthermore, the first floor of the south wing will be designated for exhibitions, which organizations in the Hub can utilize by following the tradition of past art and trash-art festivals held there. Combining art exhibitions, the historic building, and a greenery view will stimulate the location's stunning atmosphere.
The Hub itself will promote, for example, aesthetic methods of using waste. Also, the project can raise awareness of natural and environmental aesthetic values among the visitors of the Hub's activities. Now, one of the environmental organizations in Josefov even specializes in ecotourism and environmental education at the nearby ecological park "Ptačí louky."
I propose an integrative approach in four directions. Firstly, it aims to ensure that the public can openly and inclusively use the hospital as an essential object of the local cultural heritage (Open the gates! principle - currently, the hospital is closed). Secondly, the project aims to functionally connect the building and its elements with the surrounding areas and other structures (public greenery system and historical sites). Thirdly, the project aims to create the Hub with facilities in the building that will harmonize natural and cultural heritage values and interests (currently, there is a conflict between these two interests). Fourth, the project aims to integrate international practice and historical studies into the project's development and share the knowledge within the network (we cooperate with two big organizations for bastion fortifications in Europe - Forte Cultura and EFFORTS, cooperating with EUROPA NOSTRA).
In reality, the project wants to deal with the conflict of interests by intensifying the cooperation of cultural and ecological associations in Josefov. The Integrative Hub project will achieve this by offering them common space in the hospital (space for offices, events and workshops...).
Civil society was involved intensively. The involvement of citizens through associations and the city's political leadership was essential. I have a lot of experience with this city, although I don't live there, so it was easy to approach existing projects and organizations and study their future needs. The goal of the "Open the Gates!" principle is to make the hospital's courtyards available to the public and enhance their activity in the location. The upcycling part of the Hub comes from the Bastion IV association, as they will soon need new spaces for their actions, and this project reflects it.
It will be more than possible to involve the people in the project's future development. The public is essential for the project; actually, it was made for the public. Online research by Bastion IV was conducted recently, focusing on the cultural preferences of the city inhabitants. Now, an online public opinion survey for this specific project is in preparation, where it will be possible to comment on questions on the future of the hospital, its territory, and the greenery system of the city. This will give citizens of the city a say on the project and provide new ideas and feedback.
The most important was the European level, without which this project would not have happened. The organization EFFORTS (European federation of fortified sites) plays the leading role here, which informs its members about pan-European problems and initiatives (including NEB). The activity of the Joint Scientific and Expert Committee of EFFORTS and Forte Cultura, which works on sharing know-how across fortified monuments, was also appropriate. Thanks to this, I included several findings from abroad in this project. In the same way, this project will send its know-how back to the world.
The other fundamental level involved in this project is the local level, especially the organizations and associations that operate in the given place. Although I studied the city politicians' opinions as part of this project, the needs of the area should be based on the community rather than the municipal level. So here, I include an innovative approach to involve other governance levels on the site (community-level governance). Several cultural organizations that work in Josefov have already been able to comment on this project. Also, municipal agencies working on the place were asked for an opinion. However, some organizations remain to be reached. All the modifications proposed in this project are based on the needs of local associations. You can find the list of all these organizations in the attached document.
The involvement of previous projects that tried to repair the hospital was also critical, including students' diploma theses about the hospital.
Stakeholders involved in the project:
o Municiplal Cultural Organization (MKS), Bastion I, Bastion IV, FortArt, Films Under the Fortress, European Federation of Fortified Sites (EFFORTS), Forte Cultura, Joint Scientific and Expert Committee.
Stakeholders that will be consulted in the future:
o Ravelin XIV, KVH Josefov, ČSO, Spring Jaroměř, Bastion X, Bastion XI, NPÚ, Army of the Czech Republic, Technical services of Jaroměř.
The concept's design and development reflect various disciplines and knowledge fields, including architecture, history, landscape architecture, ecology, tourism, international relations, political science, and urban planning. In this project, I consulted the representatives of these fields separately. In the future, we can put this project on the regular public committee's agenda to connect the stakeholders through joint consultations and meetings. It will also be more than appropriate to organize a conference with international participation on the subject of this project. This year, the project plans to organize a landscape study to prepare the creation of the adjusted historical park.
But the main problem of interactions lies in future projects. For example, there is the conflict between environmental and historical interests in bastion fortifications. As trees surrounding the fortress grow, they damage the structure of the fortress, as part of the fortress is actually located under the trees. The specific underground architecture of fortresses is thus being damaged by trees growing above. It is why the total amount of greenery will be intentionally declining soon in Josefov. Thus this process creates tensions among pro-environmental and pro-fortress associations. By bringing together these stakeholders, the Integrative Hub will stimulate interactions and shared understanding between these various interests to improve urban planning processes in Josefov.
It can be said that this project evolved directly from the ones that failed. I decided to use new and alternative ways of thinking, downloading new principles such as, for example, gradual reconstruction, community-level governance, maintaining contemporary values of the site, cooperation with the public and stakeholders, international coordination of problems, etc.
The project proposes to invest in the hospital building gradually, in stages, with an estimated cost of millions of euros instead of tens of millions per stage. This is a new practice learned from other European fortifications, like Terezín (CZ) or Forte Marghera (IT). Thus, this project intends not to eliminate other possible usages of the hospital in the future, so it is fully adjustable for the following projects.
The existing proposals for reconstructing the hospital have been exclusive and would use it as a living place. These intentions would require lots of energy and financial costs. Now, this project is built on environmental issues. So, the project potentially has the smallest ecological footprint of all the other projects as the energy consumption would be relatively small.
Also, this project wants to maintain the existing values of the hospital, including the modern ones. This project is the only one that does not try to remove the 21st-century remnants of the new Špital Art festival tradition and film industry footprint in the hospital.
The list of universal features of this project is available in the attachment. It is primarily about principles and alternative ways of thinking about the problems of military brownfields and fortress complexes. In general, this project can serve as an inspiring case study. It is possible to duplicate the project in other bastion fortresses, as they can be found worldwide.
To sum up, the project consists of the following universal principles:
• It is not necessary to reconstruct the whole body of the building simultaneously.
• It is not necessary to heat all the reconstructed interior all the time. Instead, it is better to use the building as a non-living place but that is full of life. This principle makes it possible to fulfill such reconstruction's ecological and economic ambitions.
• Principle "Open the Gates" – any reconstruction should prevent "gated communities" and allow the public to move through the complex freely.
• Project proposal should be inclusive, not exclusive. Participating methods should be used from the start of the reconstruction process till the regular use of the building.
• Existing local organizations should be invited to participate in the reconstruction.
• In fortresses, especially environmental and cultural interests should be interconnected for the good of the location, reducing the conflict potential in transition times.
• The project should reflect the historical value of a building and should advance previous initiatives to reconstruct the place. It should reflect local and traditional ways of doing.
• The project should be reversible but mainly interconnectable to other possible and following reconstructions of the building.
• The project should fix with city organism cycle as a reaction on the ecological and economic limits of a city complex.
The global issues are climate change, social and cultural sustainability, and international exchange and peace promotion.
The project can contribute a lot to the field of environmental education and will be able to accommodate international visitors. Also significant is the conflict between natural and cultural values. This conflict is being resolved even at the level of UNESCO. The fundamental question here is how to combine the interests of protecting cultural monuments and nature and climate in general.
From a social point of view, the project emphasizes the links between diverse actors and the public, which is a change compared to the previous projects. We want to keep the "sense of belonging" on the site and thus change the process of the gradual decay of European defortified heritage.
The project also seeks to discover historical value in simple military buildings and the recent history of sites. From this point of view, the project addresses the problems of all similar brownfields worldwide. The issue of brownfields is becoming a pan-European problem today, with the EU demanding strict climate measures in such places. Local and regional levels of governance cannot invest in such buildings, and therefore they become a national and international problem.
This project also addresses the peace message. Since 1780, people from almost every possible nation of Europe have stayed in the given hospital. By reconstructing the hospital, the project will honor the place where they were cared for and where some died.
In general, combining environmental education and the protection of a historical site, the project addresses several topics simultaneously, raising awareness of large-scale environmental and historical issues among visitors coming to the hospital and its Hub.
