LLJA sets a botanical labyrinth of 1000 plants at a square in central prague

the aim of ‘victoria pragensis’ designed by architecture studio lipinski lasovsky johansson architects (LLJA) is to emphasize the precious yet fragile cultural heritage of medicinal plants, and their role in the context of public spaces and urban design. paying tribute to victoria amazonica, the world’s largest water lily, first discovered in 1801 by czech botanist thaddaus haenke, the installation consists of almost a thousand of plants set in levitating white pots.

all images © jakub nedbal

‘greenery is perceived as an indicator of the quality of life and is often considered when selecting a specific location within a city,’ explains LLJA team. victoria pragensis is a temporary landscape within urban space — it consists of nearly thousand plants forming together green soft contours. they contrast with adjacent buildings of the national theatre, changing drastically the face of the square.

created by juras lasovsky of LLJA in collaboration with haenke and national theatre in prague, this green structure becomes a labyrinth evolving from the square grid, leading the visitor to its center where the plants absorb them entirely. one single type of decorative grass dominates the whole installation, creating a stage for medicinal plants that are commonly used in medicine for its specific effects. visitors are encouraged to discover them in the installation in order to learn more about their appearance as well as functions.

all plants are inserted into the installation on a random basis and at various levels depending on the height of each frame. the construction itself provides a certain analogy to trunks in a wood carrying branches with leaves. the whole levitating topography descends towards the center of the installation where its level is at the lowest point, creating an allegoric meadow. with victoria pragensis, the authors encourage the audience to make use of public spaces they perceive as a vital part of our place for living, work, and leisure.

project info:

location: václav havel square, prague, czech republic

design: juráš lasovský

ethnobotanical supervisor: julien antih 

horticultural consultant: jan hanuš

production: andrea střelcová

graphic design: jolana sýkorová

photography: jakub nedbal 

PR: alexandra střelcová

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: maria erman | designboom