Sára Sochová won in the JMK Student Thesis category.
As part of the Construction of the South Moravian Region competition, there was also a Competition for the best student and doctoral thesis in the field of construction, which the organizer announced for students of the Faculty of Architecture and the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Brno University of Technology.
Five students from the Faculty of Architecture with their semester projects. The winner of the Student Thesis category was Sára Sochová with her project OXYMORON, Centrum nezávislé kultury, Mendlovo nám., Brno. The awarded work received the title "Best Student Project JMK 2024".
Area characteristics. Author: Sára Sochová
Sára Sochová about the project
Although independent culture is part of the intangible world, it still needs a physical space for its meetings, creation, interactions and interventions.
The independent community (musicians, performers, artists, etc.) often places its programs in existing buildings that have lost their original purpose. These spaces help create a context for a specific independent cultural community.
Area characteristics 2. Author: Sára Sochová
Sometimes new spaces are built for a certain part of independent culture that fits into the framework of social assistance or political programs. However, other areas of culture, which are more creative, artistic and non-commercial, cannot secure such support. Only rarely is a completely new building built for such purposes.
Is this because independent culture needs to create and reshape the space according to its vision? Or is the reason for this a weak interest of investors in participating in the creation of something selfless, for the community, which in the capitalist world does not bring significant profit? There may be several reasons.
Oxymoron – axonometry. Author: Sára Sochová
Oxymoron is a project that brings a clear message: this specific, creative part of society also deserves the quality spaces it needs.
The Oxymoron project is designed on a plot of land with a significant religious context. There is a basilica here, which brings a specific spiritual atmosphere to this place. The building of a Catholic church has a clear typology and form in which people perform a certain type of religious ritual. The project is based on this clear typological form, a nave with high vaults, but uses other types of activities that we do not see much in a church - body movement, musical creations, and audiovisual art. All this to achieve a spiritual experience.
By combining these activities with the typology of the church, an oxymoron is created:
-because in many Catholic churches in Europe, it is forbidden to act arbitrarily, and it is considered indecent not to observe the ritual ceremony-
In an oxymoron, you move freely and act spontaneously.
The journey underground is also connected to the religious symbolism of Christian baptism. As you descend through the water, spiralling down the stairs, you are freed from your earthly sins and mistakes and enter the cathedral pure and immaculate.
Interview with Sára Sochová
How do you feel about the award? Do you think that your project made the jury notice the importance of independent cultural centres?
Of course, I was very pleased to win the Construction of the South Moravian Region competition. And since it is a proposal for a cultural center for independent culture, my joy was doubly great. I am pleased that the Oxymoron project caught the attention of the jury - I see it as a positive signal for the community in Brno and the surrounding area.
Some might argue that the topics of community and cultural centers are now a bit of a "fashionable cliché". But the very fact that they are being talked about shows that there is still a social interest in quality spaces for these purposes.
I would like to see civic facilities, especially those that serve diverse communities, receive more attention from investors and architects. So that they are not afraid to experiment and design bolder, more distinctive buildings. I believe that culture, especially independent culture, deserves architecture that is not only functional but also expressive. That reflects the character and values ??of these communities.
Oxymoron – concept. Author: Sára Sochová
The Oxymoron project was created with a clear goal – to send a signal that the independent scene deserves quality spaces. Spaces that represent their way of creating, thinking, and living. Because these communities have one thing in common: they bring powerful experiences. For themselves, but also for their audience.
How do you perceive the current situation in Brno – architecture as a space for art?
Brno, as I perceive it, has a strong community background and a diverse cultural life. There are many spaces where these communities meet, create, discuss, and support each other. I would like to mention, for example, Kumst, Kabinet Múz, the Káznice cultural center… Or larger projects like Co.Labs, which not only offers spaces, but also organises many artistic and charitable events itself. It is great that such spaces are functioning in Brno, and I sincerely wish them a lot of energy and support in the future.
The concept. Autorka: Sára Sochová
On the other hand, many collectives, events and festivals have to find spaces, adapt them and often share them with others. This is not necessarily negative – I also see a certain romance in it: the process of building your background brings people closer together and creates a completely different kind of experience.
Nevertheless, the diversity of architectural spaces is very limited compared to the diversity of the activities themselves. A multifunctional room, a stage, a rectangular floor plan and white walls. Even such a standard can sometimes be a blessing, but is it enough for us?
We focus on the economy and functionality of buildings, but somewhere along the way, the “experience” is lost, which, in my opinion, should be key in architecture. I believe that architecture has a higher mission. Theatre, music, dance and other performances have a completely different impact when they take place in a space that is not conventional. And at the same time, the architecture itself is in harmony with the context and content of the given cultural event.
The floorplan. Author: Sára Sochová
The space affects us in a complex way, through all the senses. We perceive that we are underground, we feel the humidity, temperature, acoustics, light intensity... All this creates an experience, positive or negative. And this is what makes, for example, sacred buildings so exceptional - they go beyond our ordinary experience. That is why sacred architecture was the inspiration for the Oxymoron project.
I will return to the beginning: Oxymoron is not a project that brings economic profit. However, it supports the values ??that we value. And above all, it is about the people who create these independent cultural communities. Without them, none of this would exist. It is important to value them, because they bring valuable experiences, diversity and deep content to society. And if we lose them, we will lose a significant part of our identity.
