Monument in Veľká Mača

The Trnava self-governing region, in cooperation with surviving families and the general professional public, announced a public art and architectural competition in December last year. Its goal was to create a place of reverence at the site of the tragedy of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová. The purpose of building a monument in the village of Veľká Mača is to commemorate, preserve and encourage people to discuss with due respect. The jury (full members): Bohunka Koklesová, Iľja Skoček, Sabina Jankovičová, Ilona Németh, Petr Hájek, Jozef Kuciak, Jozef Viskupič and Lukáš Kušnír evaluated 27 of the 30 submitted proposals at the meeting on 21 April.

The evaluation committee decided on the results of the competition as follows:

1. Place: proposal no. 27, Benjamín Brádňanský, Vít Halada, Martin Piaček

Tilting, imbalance and deviation are the main symbolism and design concept, which presents a simple and powerful gesture to a tragic event. It takes on one side, but adds on the other. An understandable language of working with the terrain creates several levels of spatial experience. Almost invisible from the street, only with a hint of a new horizon on the opposite side of the plot. The concrete building of the main entrance with the background creates a very sensitive intervention in the village with a minimum height to the level of the railing with a green hedge backdrop. The possibility of closing such a space if necessary is perceived positively. The monument itself, or its components skillfully work with a generous garden and atmospheres that can be experienced even in bad weather. In the recessed part of the monument, the visitor can easily forget about the surroundings in which s/he is located and contemplate in the lee. The raised garden offers the opposite and opens up a new perspective for the future. Areas accessible in this way have a social overlap and potential. Despite the visually distinctive and expressive presentation of the design, the memorial is a clear and attractive answer to the appearance of the memorial in the development of family houses. The structural solution of the inclined garden and the material solution of these supporting surfaces, which will shape it in the field, are not intended. The security of the movement of visitors and the privacy of the surrounding buildings, on the edge of the raised garden and the purpose of using large stone elements within the garden is also questionable, or it is necessary to complete the furniture design. The tender proposal has a strong concept. However, the design and material solutions of elements and objects need to be worked out in detail. There is no visual marking of the monument in the entrance part and the solution of the areas between the road and the entrance to the monument.

More information about the competition and other submitted projects