KLATOVY – Memorial to the Victims of World War / Competition Proposal*
BRIEF:
Competition proposal for a memorial dedicated to the victims of the First World War in the city of Klatovy.
CONCEPT:
Site and spatial concept
The proposal is based on the motif of a scar in the landscape, evoking the trenches in which soldiers from Klatovy fought. This form becomes both the main spatial organiser of the park and a strong symbolic element.
The existing informal path is preserved and complemented by a new route passing through an elongated landform — a mound cut by a narrow passage. Visitors can either walk directly through the memorial and experience the compressed space of a symbolic “trench”, or choose the outer path, offering a calmer route with partial acoustic shielding and reduced visual noise from the surroundings.
Architectural and artistic concept
At the centre of the site stands a sculpted terrain element that visitors physically pass through. Its inner walls contain 314 incisions bearing the names of 314 fallen citizens of Klatovy, engraved into concrete. These cuts symbolise gravestones and are subtly illuminated at night.
The left corten steel wall carries the laser-cut text of the original, now-lost memorial:
“Three hundred and fourteen dead citizens of Klatovy, whose blood was shed on all the battlefields of the world, call to their compatriots: brothers, let us love one another!”
The right wall bears the inscription:
“And we, who lived to see the morning of resurrection, promise you eternal memory, holy dead, that we shall never forget this command.”
The memorial thus commemorates both the fallen citizens and the vanished original monument.
At dusk, the memorial gradually lights up, introducing an intimate nocturnal atmosphere into the park. Soft light emerging from the ground recalls cemetery candles — a quiet gesture of remembrance that avoids monumentality and invites personal reflection.
During the day, the memorial remains discreet. From the street, it merges with the surrounding greenery and only reveals itself upon closer approach, allowing visitors to enter, pass through, and physically experience the confined spatial conditions reminiscent of trench warfare.
Surroundings
The surrounding area remains a natural woodland park. Existing paths are preserved and sensitively adjusted to allow access to benches and resting areas. A dendrological survey determines which vegetation is retained or removed.
Materials
The memorial combines concrete, corten steel, and terrain modelling. Materials are durable, low-maintenance, and designed to age naturally. Integrated lighting is concealed between concrete and steel layers, with night illumination also helping to reduce vandalism.
Structure and maintenance
The concrete foundations and retaining structures were developed in consultation with a structural engineer. Corten steel plates (10 mm thick) are anchored into the concrete. The memorial is approximately 30 m long, with a passage width of 1,200 mm and a maximum height of 1,450 mm. Maintenance corresponds to standard park upkeep; steel panels and lighting elements are individually replaceable via concealed access points.
