Right up to the 1960s, in the close vicinity of the historical centre, in the area known as Bernardky, there were low, rural-style houses, dominated from 1910, by a synagogue. This specific area, known as the Czech Suburb did not fit in with the architectural-urban character of the grandiose, newly-built Smetana House (02-402) and the Girls' School (02-22) built at the start of the 20th century. Moreover, many of the buildings were in perilous condition and deemed unhygienic. Therefore, the architect Ladislav Machoň recommended that they be demolished to make way for new blocks of buildings in line with his development plans of 1947–1949. The architect and conservationist Lubomír Reml then continued on this theme in subsequent town development plans in 1959 and 1964. He then specified an envisioned housing estate and town amenities with two, at most, four storeys, respecting the skyline of the historical Chateau Hillock.
The architects entrusted with the task of designing the housing estate were Prague architects Ivo loos and Jindřich Malátek. The residential section was to have been composed of 11 four-storey blocks with a complex plan which was to encompass a total of 1321 flats. The blocks were laid out in an oval shape whose longer axis faced the main facade of the Girls' school and its small tower. The architects approached the design of the housing estate with great respect because, as they themselves remarked, “forming the historical area of the town raises questions of proportions of height and space. […]The diminutive scale of the space before the chateau, the Piarist and other churches determines the proportions of space and relationships of the new construction – in essence, an intimate position with narrow walkways and a significant amount of greenery.”
However, in 1972, the District Investment Department and Litomyšl Town Council thwarted Loos and Malátek's subtle design plans, arguing that building such a small number of flats would not be rentable. In spite of the fact that the architects modified their design against their will, the contract was awarded to the design studio Stavoprojekt Hradec Králové. The final design, by Ferdinand Trkal from the studio's Choceň branch, proposed double the number of flats (264), thus compromising the original architectural-urban design by being made up of large unit-built four, six and eight-storey blocks. The space in the centre of the blocks of flats forms a “town square” from the beginning designated as a car-park.
The character of the housing estate was enhanced by the architect Josef Pleskot when, in 2002, he proposed a revitalization of the “interior” of the estate within the second phase of the flood-protection project for the river Loučná (02-VP3). Into a relatively restricted space, he decided to introduce several functions separated by diverse surfaces (asphalt for cars, cobble stones for pedestrians, lawns and wood for recreation, etc.). So far only his design for a semi-submerged garage complex whose roof serves as a playing field and recreational garden has been carried out.
Since 2000, the environment of the housing estate has been enhanced by two works of art commemorating significant demolished buildings. On the bank of the River Loučná, where the local synagogue once stood, a simple copper memorial plaque by Helga Hošková-Weissová was installed in 2012, commemorating not just the synagogue itself but also members of the Jewish inhabitants of Litomyšl who perished during the Second World War. The second work of art by Frederico Díaz and Marian Karel commemorates Litomyšl-born astronomer Zdeněk Kopal, and was installed on Havlíčkova Street, where Kopal's family home once stood (02-VP4).
AŠ
