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Lovers of architecture and nature gathered for the third time this year at the international conference Landscape Settlements Heritage, held on 23 April at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of BUT. The theme of this year's edition was WATER in all its forms, qualities, and locations. Water is an inseparable part of our lives and environment. In the form of rivers, it is dynamic, while in the form of water surfaces, it is calm and static. It can be drinking, non-drinking, rainwater, spring, alkaline, acidic, fresh or salty – water has many properties.The Institute of Architecture at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of BUT organized the international conference Landscape Settlements Heritage for the third time. | Author: FAST VUT ArchiveThe 2025 edition of the Landscape Settlements Heritage conference focused on the element that shapes our landscape, influences the development of settlements and the character of heritage. How we perceive this element today and how our ancestors related to it was the main theme of the third edition. Water is all around us – we just need to look closely. Speakers from various disciplines shared their insights and provided participants with a deeper understanding of water in contemporary society. Together, they opened questions of identity, transformation, and memory, which are inseparably connected with water. They shared stories that are told in the landscape by water itself – often quietly, yet persistently.
The Department of Architecture, which organizes the conference, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The opening remarks were delivered by deputy head of the department Tomáš Pavlovský, who presented selected student projects related to the theme of water. This was followed by presentations in the categories of landscape, settlements, and heritage – three from each category were selected for the main program. Jiří Kupka from the Czech Technical University in Prague focused on the role of water as a key element in historical and contemporary garden architecture. Water in gardens carries rich symbolism and shapes both microclimate and spatial composition. From paradisiacal courtyards to modern adaptation strategies for climate change, water elements serve as tools of order, renewal, and sensory experience.This year’s edition focused on WATER in all its forms, qualities, and places of occurrence. | Author: FAST VUT ArchiveMario Barra, also from CTU in Prague, explored the development of the water regime in the area of today’s large ČSA mine under Jezeří Castle, where the Komořany lake and a network of watercourses including the Bílina River dominated until the 20th century. Industrialization and mining dramatically altered the landscape – the Bílina River was piped underground, water surfaces disappeared, and streams were rerouted. The presentation provided a historical overview and outlined possibilities for water regime restoration after the decline of mining.
Vladislava Říhová from the University of Pardubice and Jakub Ivánek from the University of Ostrava presented a contribution focused on artworks associated with water and water-management structures during the era of socialist Czechoslovakia. Since 2016, these works have been systematically documented in the database Sculpture and the City. Artworks on dams, water treatment plants, or administrative buildings often featured conservative water-themed iconography, but some progressive projects also appeared – for example, the “Artificial Landscape” at the Dalešice hydropower plant. Monika Stará from Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem offered a different perspective on the transformation of watercourses and surfaces due to mining in the North Bohemian brown coal basin. Brown coal mining significantly impacted the region’s hydrology – the Bílina River was rerouted into a pipe, smaller watercourses were altered or disappeared. Yet water also became a tool of renewal – hydric reclamation was an important means of regenerating post-mining landscapes. The contribution examined examples of such transformations and raised the question of how historical experience may influence future territorial development.The opening speech was delivered by Tomáš Pavlovský from the Institute of Architecture. | Author: FAST VUT ArchiveKarel Hamberger and Lubomír Zeman from the Loket branch of the National Heritage Institute described the transformations of Karlovy Vary’s water environment and its influence on the city’s urbanism. Mineral springs and the landscape shaped the unique structure of the spa area, including colonnades, riverfront promenades, and thermal pipelines. Following flood events, banks were reinforced, tilting bridges and stone walls were constructed. Over time, the river space evolved – from romantic rides to degradation in the 20th century. Anna Magni from Mendel University in Brno focused on the role of water in the landscape design of housing estates from the 1960s to 1980s. These residential complexes were characterized by generous open spaces, responding to the hygienic and social needs of the time. Water functioned as a creative and practical element – in the form of water features, natural streams, and drainage. She presented examples where water helped shape the built environment and compared past approaches with today’s challenges of climate change and sustainability.
Jiří Riezner from Jan Evangelista Purkyně University focused on mountain streams in the wider surroundings of Ústí nad Labem, influenced by both natural and human-made processes. Due to the rugged terrain, the area contained numerous streams with small catchment areas, steep gradients, and dynamic regimes. Erosive and transport activity led to the need for torrent control, which was systematically implemented from the late 19th century. These measures served both flood protection and slope stabilization, as well as improved navigability of the Elbe. Many of these historic structures have remained in good condition to this day. Speakers from various fields shared their insights and provided participants with a deeper understanding of water in contemporary society. | Author: FAST VUT ArchiveLucie Hronová Šafářová from Mendel University explained how water significantly shaped historic gardens, parks, and the landscape around Olomouc. In the Middle Ages, the city was surrounded by branching watercourses, which became part of Renaissance and Baroque gardens with fountains and pools. The construction of a bastion fortress in the 18th century destroyed most of the gardens, but water surfaces and wetlands remained and were used for recreation. Along with modified watercourses, they formed an important element of biodiversity and aesthetics. Since the 19th century, they have been part of city parks, and their values should be utilized in future urban planning. Lenka Gebauerová from Brno University of Technology focused on water as a key element for rural settlements, where it served purposes of supply, social gathering, and reinforcing local identity. In the 20th century, industrialization and land reclamation significantly reduced its presence. Her study examined the transformation and renewal of water features in the borderlands of Czechia and Austria. The research revealed differences in conservation approaches and offered recommendations for preserving and using these elements in adapting settlements to climate change.
These main presentations were complemented by shorter talks on topics such as environmental education, therapeutic methods, urban riverfronts, and artistic ways of depicting water.
All contributions, including those not presented above, will be available in the conference proceedings to be published in the summer and freely downloadable from the website www.krajinasidlapamatky.cz
The conference offered a wide range of fascinating topics and once again demonstrated how closely landscape, settlements, and heritage are interconnected. The presentations emphasized the importance of caring for the landscape and historical monuments and protecting them from the negative impacts of modern times. The next edition of the conference is already being prepared and will take place on 22 April 2026 once again at the same venue – the historic lecture hall of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Brno University of Technology.