Praha Most (Prague Bridge) is an 1100-person apartment building in Prague that straddles the river Vltava parallel to the Charles Bridge (Karl V Most). The building explores the essence of the bridge, of its in-between position and quality as boundary. At issue here is dwelling at the crossover, not just literally but also metaphorically along the life's path of the residents. The building provides a combination of collective infrastructure and individual rooms. Its parti is geared to the needs (see Maslow) of the resident who seeks awareness of his inner self, his existence. He can withdraw from his surroundings to then take up a position in the world as an individual. Considered from the individual and world (community) viewpoints, dwelling needs can be dissected into a private and a shared need. The only real private place is the bedroom. Sleep requires the certainty of protection. All other dwelling activities occur in a state of awareness and are communal by nature. This extreme division into private and collective is expressed in the building's cross section. On the north façade with the ideal view of the Charles Bridge, metaphor of the world's centre, are all the private quarters held within a regular orthogonal grid. All communal facilities are on the south side of the building. These facilities, which include cafés, restaurants, cinemas, a park, a medical aid post, a library and administrative rooms, are placed in the building in accordance with the projection, onto the silhouette of the bridge, of the infrastructure of a typical cross-section through Prague. In the border area between private apartments and communal facilities is the main circulation zone. The building can be reached on foot from the city and can be used as a bridge. Short-term visitors choose their own way through the building and can make use of the collective facilities, in the way that the residents of Praha Most can make use of what the city has to offer.

e-mail: c.boons@tip.nl

Place of education: Tilburg
Specialization: architectuur
Tutor: Wim Cuyvers