The Litomysl Door
Located in Litomysl, a small Czech town with a strong architectural identity, The Door is a mirrored installation designed by MVRDV at the threshold between the city and the surrounding countryside. Positioned along a walking route in the Zdeněk Kopal Nature Park, The Door introduces a deliberate pause in the landscape, transforming a simple walk into a moment of both arrival and passage.
- Location
- Litomyšl, Czech Republic
- Status
- Realised
- Year
- 2024–2024
- Client
- Undisclosed
- Programmes
- Pavilion
MVRDV designed The Door as part of the ‘Destinations of Travel’ project, which introduces small-scale interventions in and around Litomysl to encourage walking and engagement with the landscape. It is located within the Zdeněk Kopal Nature Park, a formerly flood-prone site transformed into a resilient public space with trees and shrubs, paths, seating, and play areas. The park provides the ideal setting for The Door, linking the urban environment with the surrounding countryside.
Located at the end of a tree-lined path, the door acts as both a threshold and a viewpoint. The installation takes the form of a 10 × 4 metre wall made of mirrored Dibond, punctured by a single opening that allows visitors to pass through it. Tilted five degrees forward, its reflective surfaces capture the treetops and surrounding greenery, extending the rhythm of the landscape and merging reflection with reality so that city, countryside, and visitor briefly align in a single frame. Passing through the opening shifts perception, as the path opens onto a wide panorama of rolling fields beyond the park’s edge.
Gallery
Credits
- Architect
- Founding Partner in charge
- Director
- Design Team
- Collaborations
- Project coordination:
- Antonin Dokoupil
- Structural engineer:
- Egoé plus a.s.
- Frans de Witte
- Landscape architect:
- Eva Wagner