The Urban Orchards is a park in the city centre of Prague – an attractive and dynamic public space for locals and visitors offering a wide range of leisure activities for all age groups. The facilities include a playground with various types of fitness equipment, pétanque, and areas for roller-blading and skateboarding. A network of paths connects with the four main entrances of the park, and at the northern tip there is a green oasis around a pond with a wooden bridge linking it to the surrounding paths.
The centre of the park includes a summer stage with an amphitheatre and several lookout points. In the southern part of the orchards, there is a playground, the main fountain, and a memorial remembering the victims of the holocaust – a granite Star of David half-sunk into the ground at the site of a former Jewish cemetery.
The promenade connects the eastern entrance and the Monument to Heroes of the Soviet Army. Twelve modern sculptures are spread across the park, with some featuring water elements – together with the park furniture they assist with wayfinding and create picturesque stopping points at the various intersections within the park.
Authorized architect, university professor. A practicing architect who lacks theory and therefore creates his own. Conceptual architect, visionary, organizer, leader. Not just buildings and interiors: comprehensive development of locations and settlements, public spaces; always with a comprehensive approach. Thirty years of practice; a reliable partner for any project. Father of four. Occasional yachtsman, skier, snowboarder, biker, and kickboxer.
I came from Plzeň in 1991, at early dark ages of the company and equipped with only a set of technical drawing pens, tracing paper roll, rulers, and acrophobia. And today, I am still with the company as a technical director. Sometimes, I am at the table buried in paperwork, some other time my shoes are dirty with mud from the site, but usually I am satisfied with what we have managed to build. At present, I am working on the design of a new hotel U Sixtů at Old Town Square, Prague; master plan of the residential complex at Na Vackově, Prague where the formation of a completely new district is in progress; and I am also working on the extension of the La Lorraine production plant in Kladno.
Alexandr Verner
Managing Director
