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Animals Market

Part 1 Project 2014
Stepan Smetana
Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design Prague | Czech republic
Florenc, an abandoned place between the bus and train stations, hides neglected space under the highway bridge, which goes through the centre of Prague. This point is connecting Prague with surrounding districts, used just for fast transport where nobody wants to stop.

As a breeder of parrots I know that it’s difficult to meet other breeders anywhere else than out of Prague, it’s the main reason why I started to think about linking these two things together.

After conducting a research among collectors and breeders I found out that there are dog, cat, reptiles, fish, bird breeders associations (around 300 members in Prague), but also a collectors society which includes collecting beer labels, stamps, soaps, animals from Kinder Surprise eggs, militaries, etc. Out of this information, I came up with the idea to do an animal market.

The market is based on an easy system of cages hanging under the bridge construction, which suits into this industrial environment, the old trains in background and the bridge above. These cages are mobile, they are hanging under the bridge during the night, which prevents them from being destroyed by vandals. In the morning sellers are coming to unlock their stands and they can fix the cages in different position depending on what they are going to sell. When the market finishes all the cages go up and wait for another day.

The function of the market isn’t limited just to selling or exchanging animals, but it can be also used by collectors, growers or as a flea market.

Stepan Smetana

Tutor(s)

2014
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