Urban pinpricks : the case of Prague's riverfront

The thesis deals with the challenges of introducing contemporary architectural interventions, into an existing historic fabric. The aim is to develop a proper methodology in designing such interventions, and offer an appropriate architectural solution. The Josefov District, in the Old Town of Prague, was chosen as the main element of our research. An area characterised by its Jewish heritage, with a very important but controversial role, in the development of the city’s urban fabric. The contradicting dynamics of the area, provide a very interesting foundation for the development of our case study. The first part of the report analyses the historic and architectural evolution of the city of Prague, using cartographic and bibliographic sources. The second part, focuses in the Jewish Culture of Prague, particularly the development of the various Ghettos in the city. There is also an attempt to understand the presence of Jewish architecture or approach to architecture, based on Jewish principles. On the third chapter, after a more general analysis of the city, there is a detailed investigation of the Josefov District and its relationship with the urban fabric. Based on municipal data and on-site investigation, the strengths and weaknesses of the current environment are derived; in order to properly identify the architectural problem, in a micro and macro urban scale. The architectural proposal is based on two main aspects of the urban context: the unexploited opportunities of the riverfront along the historic city center and the expansion of a public cultural network in the area. A regeneration of the historic center and its riverfront is achieved, by adding small & sensitive interventions to the existing context, strategically combined in a greater network of “urban acupuncture”.