Execution of greenery and amenities around the newly built hall
In 2016, five years before the creation of the Masterplan for Nová Zbrojovka, which defines the conceptual plan of transport services with regard to the future level of use of the entire area, was designed the access road from Markéta Kuncová Street. It was to be located between land with family homes on the street Baarovo nábřeží and a private industrial estate adjacent to the railway. Space was sufficient for the creation of a standard two-way road, lined with a sidewalk, it and corresponded with the knowledge of Zbrojovka at the time, when only a short-term plan for the development and function of Nová Zbrojovka existed. Problem solved!
However, this solution of traffic access was not positively received due to the cramped conditions of the future road and the immediate proximity to the gardens of the houses on the street Baarovo nábřeží. This became the subject of discussion among the owners of the adjacent land, as well as representatives of the municipal district of Židenice and of Maloměřice, whose territory intersects the site. The main requirement was to move the road away from private gardens and to filter out any negative traffic impacts, along with boosting the importance of this transport connection in relation to the construction plan and public transport solutions. Of course, good neighborly relations are important to us. We thus learnt to share the development of Nová Zbrojovka, and all of the attending questions and topics, with the surrounding residents in order to meet their requirements while fulfilling our conceptual plans. The only solution in this case was to buy another part of the land between the gardens and the railway. At that time, we already had transport models and the final transport concept for the future district, which increased the importance of transport connections at this location and reinforced the need for change.
So we approached the owner of the adjacent industrial site and began negotiating the terms of the purchase of part of the land so that we would be able to placate the residents living on Baarovo nábřeží. Their offer was clear, however, that part of the land just for moving the road would not be sold: it was all or nothing. We accepted the terms and invested in the purchase of the entire site with the priority of moving the road and with a vision for revitalisation and increasing the value the remaining space. The fact is that this land was not originally the subject of our interest, we were not interested in investing additional tens of millions of crowns to acquire it. But the situation led us to reassess and a new solution was born, to the satisfaction of all involved. Solved second time round!
The final design of the hall in the area near Markéta Kuncová Street
What would you do with a not-very-lucrative area located next to a railway, which is in a semi-brownfield state, slowly but surely deteriorating from a half-empty and decaying space towards a critical point when it will become a burden on the surroundings? This question gives the impression of a joke with a set punchline. Unfortunately, it’s not funny at all, but did figure out the punchline – an answer in 3 parts. Meet our 3-in-1.
1. Convenient transport links
Increasing the space available for the construction of the road has opened the possibility to implement a transport connection that will comply with the requirements of transport models, the existing and upcoming master plan, and significantly free up the southern transport connection at the other end of the neighbourhood. It will thus provide maximum traffic convenience for future residents, while thoroughly screening existing residents living on Baarovo nábřeží from the excessive eyesore caused by the exposed 4-metre-high wall. Although the concept of Nová Zbrojovka is based on the principles of the 15-minute city and though we want to minimise traffic in the new district, we must also respect the legal regulations defining the form of roads with regard to the number of future users of Nová Zbrojovka. The
stage linking the transport connection from Markéta Kuncová Street will shortly be launched by a competition for the project’s implementation, which we firmly believe the City of Brno will announce in the coming months. The good news is that, in the best-case scenario, construction work will begin as early as the last quarter of this year.
2. Protection of private properties with an access route for homeowners thrown in for good measure
The second answer to the question, what do you do with the area described above, almost smacks of a messianic syndrome. Modesty aside, these are the facts. By moving the originally planned road deeper into our space, we managed to protect the land of the owners of the family houses along Baarovo nábřeží. What’s more? Residents will be able to use the gap between their land and the shifted road as a driveway to their own land.
Of course, there are other measures that we’ll undertake to implement as part of the transport connection project, such as the aforementioned construction of a 4-metre-high exposed wall or the connection of the section to a cycle path.
3. Clean operation that will not be disruptive or restrictive
As mentioned, we did not originally want another sqm in this location, but to buy only a part of the land that would be enough for us to relocate the road was not possible, so we agreed to the offer to buy the whole area. So what about the rest? “We decided to prepare what was then a speculative project called NZ1 with the aim of occupying the space with multiple smaller plants consisting of units for production or storage, office and sales. According to the zoning plan, it was the only possible option,” recalls Jan Růžička, the project manager of Nová Zbrojovka. One interested party who liked the vision of Nová Zbrojovka, whom our conditions suited, and who ultimately took an interest in the whole space was found at extraordinary speed. Karma for good deeds, perhaps? And they were just as eagerly prepared to implement the construction project. “We’ve encountered an unexpected situation where the construction of the hall precedes the implementation of the transport connection, which we’re able to coordinate and can flexibly adapt to,” Jan Růžička describes the dynamic process typical for the creation of a project of this scale.
From a private production and storage area that was fragmented, one continuous structure is now being developed that will not be disruptive or problematic for the surroundings. And it’s set in an environment that it will fully respect. Yes, it may seem unsightly to some at this stage, but it’s at an intermediate stage. Just as the spaces of the ZET.Office and Hrad have become green and civically equipped in the form of sports facilities and relax zones, so to will this space be transformed into a similar final state.
In the name of conceptuality and a Masterplan
Every change creates a certain discomfort, fear of the unknown is in our nature, we understand it. And that is why we’re prepared for questions and discussion, which will make the unknown clear and understandable, at least to the extent possible. Transforming 22.5 hectares is a big deal, so our mantra is conceptuality. We take our lead from the Masterplan, where spaces are ordered according to a clear hierarchy, where everything has its place and function, and thanks to which Nová Zbrojovka is guaranteed to be functional in every aspect and exactly how we want it – modern, well connected, sustainable and vibrant.
