The basis for the overall concept of the memorial consists of two historical facts which may be considered the most important in the whole life of Jan Kašpar and in the history of Czech aviation at all. In particular, these include Kašpar’s first successful flight, which took place on 16 April 1910, when he flew approximately 2 km at the height of 20-25 meters. The second milestone is the famous flight from Pardubice to Velká Chuchle on 13 May 1911, when Kašpar flew a distance of 121 km in 92 minutes at the height of about 800 m. He made both of these flights in a modified aircraft the basis of which comprised an aircraft of the French aerospace engineer Louis Blériot. Those events represent the beginnings of Czech aviation, which also serve as the basis of the construction of the memorial.
The exposed mass of the memorial consists of two contrasting sections: a slim stainless steel column and abstracted mock airplane Bleriot XI made of black steel, reduced in the scale 1:2 compared to the original. Highly polished steel reflects the surrounding environment, making more subtle or even modest impression, while the Blériot mass creates a visible silhouette. The mock height location is not random, corresponding to the average height of the Kašpar’s first flight. The individual is thus directly confronted with the real height of the air trials of the first aviators. The orientation of the aircraft recalls the most famous feat of Jan Kašpar, thus facing Velká Chuchle. Both major event are highlighted by the commemorative relief etched directly into the steel column.
The proposed solution also responds to the current state of the surrounding buildings and urban structure. It completes an emotional compositional axis of Mír Avenue as opposed to the Green Gate, being applied in a linear long-distance views. For this reason, it is important to place the monument so that it highlights the airplane silhouette against the sky, not overlapping with the adjoining buildings. The memorial site has been carefully chosen, not interfering with other land than municipal plots. In the context of the planned reconstruction of the surrounding public space, it is a clean and contemporary solution making art and historical facts through an architectural form available to the general public. The memorial also has the potential to become a meeting place in a new and more dignified public space.
Pardubice, Czech Republic
The basis for the overall concept of the memorial consists of two historical facts which may be considered the most important in the whole life of Jan Kašpar and in the history of Czech aviation at all. In particular, these include Kašpar’s first successful flight, which took place on 16 April 1910, when he flew approximately 2 km at the height of 20-25 meters. The second milestone is the famous flight from Pardubice to Velká Chuchle on 13 May 1911, when Kašpar flew a distance of 121 km in 92 minutes at the height of about 800 m. He made both of these flights in a modified aircraft the basis of which comprised an aircraft of the French aerospace engineer Louis Blériot. Those events represent the beginnings of Czech aviation, which also serve as the basis of the construction of the memorial.
The exposed mass of the memorial consists of two contrasting sections: a slim stainless steel column and abstracted mock airplane Bleriot XI made of black steel, reduced in the scale 1:2 compared to the original. Highly polished steel reflects the surrounding environment, making more subtle or even modest impression, while the Blériot mass creates a visible silhouette. The mock height location is not random, corresponding to the average height of the Kašpar’s first flight. The individual is thus directly confronted with the real height of the air trials of the first aviators. The orientation of the aircraft recalls the most famous feat of Jan Kašpar, thus facing Velká Chuchle. Both major event are highlighted by the commemorative relief etched directly into the steel column.
The proposed solution also responds to the current state of the surrounding buildings and urban structure. It completes an emotional compositional axis of Mír Avenue as opposed to the Green Gate, being applied in a linear long-distance views. For this reason, it is important to place the monument so that it highlights the airplane silhouette against the sky, not overlapping with the adjoining buildings. The memorial site has been carefully chosen, not interfering with other land than municipal plots. In the context of the planned reconstruction of the surrounding public space, it is a clean and contemporary solution making art and historical facts through an architectural form available to the general public. The memorial also has the potential to become a meeting place in a new and more dignified public space.
Pardubice, Czech Republic