Red Rectangle
Lake Milada, Czech Republic
The mining heritage of the site is both visible in the geography of the area and in the low air quality: the site lies in the Black Triangle, one of the most polluted area in Europe.
Confronted by the ambiguity of the current lake contour, which is not natural, nor artificial, our design -defined by a rectangular geometry- overlaps with the existing coastline defining a new clear shape.
The project defines a highly flexible recreation-oriented system of paths and piers, from which – the Red Rectangle – unfolds.
The Rectangle organises the flows of pedestrians and cyclists enhancing the experience of nature while proposing a design that embeds the persuasive power of a logo. Lake Milada will be reconnected to the region and to the mining heritage of the area, while standing out as a unique entity, both symbolically and formally.
The goal is to transform vulnerabilities into opportunities: not only can nature-based tourism be expanded and diversified, but also the post-mining condition can be turned into an opportunity. The Red Triangle is a framework where best practices of post-mining remediation are displayed, nature based solutions are used as performative tools creating a new link between heritage with ecology.
