The Gabion
- Location
- Prague, Czechia
- Typology
- Public Space
- Stage
- Schematic Design
- Role
- Sole author
- Year
- 2015
The Gabion is a design proposal developed at the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague. The project introduces a temporary, low-cost urban intervention to reactivate the handling yard of the historic, post-industrial Pragovka factory in Prague’s Vysočany district—specifically the space directly adjacent to its landmark, heritage-protected chimney and water tower.
The proposal transforms the empty yard into a community garden with raised planting beds, centered around a long, lightweight timber pavilion. Rather than a purely decorative green space, the design focuses on a highly functional, collective cycle of growing and gathering. Under a single, simple gabled roof, the linear pavilion integrates two main community volumes: a communal kitchen for preparing and sharing the harvest, and an integrated greenhouse for propagating seeds and extending the growing season.
Reflecting a focus on the intersection of architecture and engineering, the pavilion employs a very practical, reversible tectonic logic. The back of the structure is defined by a heavy gabion wall—wire baskets filled with stones and loose rubble salvaged directly from the surrounding post-industrial site. Beyond providing structural support, these gabions act as a high-capacity thermal mass, absorbing solar heat during the day and radiating it back at night to naturally regulate the temperature of both the greenhouse and the kitchen.
Completed with simple timber post-and-beam framing, gravel flooring, and corrugated roofing, the design is a literal "pop-up" that can be easily built, modified, or completely disassembled without damaging the protected industrial heritage. It demonstrates a philosophy where raw construction, physical making, and community-driven ecology define the architectural form.
