The Jižní Město II housing estate’s orientation system
Metal banners resembling flags were part of the public space and commemorated all the housing estates - Fauna, Flora, Water, Earth, Air, and Sun.
Metal banners resembling flags were part of the public space and commemorated all the housing estates - Fauna, Flora, Water, Earth, Air, and Sun.
The metal banners were, until recently, part of the public space of the estate (albeit in a very neglected state), but it has long since changed its appearance.
As a new type of residential unit, the development of prefabricated housing estates also brought with them a negative phenomenon in the form of worsened orientation. The mutual similarity of the prefab buildings, the large distances between them, ground floors consisting of identical housing units instead of storefronts, frequent dead ends and the general blurring of the term “street” contributed to significant disorientation in these neighbourhoods. The developers of the Jižní Město II housing estate in Prague were the first to actively address this problem in practice. They succeeded in imprinting a uniqueness on a fundamentally monotonous environment not only with an unusual urban design but primarily with a comprehensive and highly sophisticated orientation system – one of a kind in the context of Czechoslovak housing estates.
Architects Jan Zelený and Vítězslava Rothbauerová came up with the idea of humanizing the living space based on the theme of man and the environment. The housing estate was divided into six residential complexes – natural units that were to be linked to the themes and symbolism of the sun, water, earth, air, fauna, and flora. Based on this elaborated concept, the architects approached Jiří Rathouský to create the graphic expression of the idea.
Orientation system and colour scheme of The Jižní Město II housing estate
Orientation system and colour scheme of The Jižní Město II housing estate
The initial motif was a pictogram of a man, which has as its predecessor Leonardo da Vinci’s canon of human proportions. Rathouský transformed the ancient symbol into a simple stylized logo. The hierarchical symbolism of the housing estate’s identity was further divided into symbols for Upper Kunratice and Upper Roztyly with the motifs of kingfishers.
Planning model of the construction of Fauna 1984-1989
In his graphic design for the estate’s identity concept, Jiří Rathouský was inspired by history. The initial motif used for the entire residential complex was a pictogram of a man, one which has as its predecessor Leonardo da Vinci’s canon of human proportions. However, in the spirit of modern graphic design, the ancient symbol was transformed by Rathouský into a simple stylized logo. The hierarchical symbolism of the housing estate’s identity was further divided into symbols for Upper Kunratice and Upper Roztyly with the motifs of kingfishers. This element also had its predecessor in history — the symbol was used by King Wenceslas IV, who had the Gothic New Castle built in the Kunratice area in 1411. The basic subdivision of Jižní Město II’s visual code was built upon its next level on the markings for the aforementioned residential complexes. The symbols used for these markings were highly abstracted (and again designed with historical connotations), derived from the assigned thematic areas of individual elements that were assigned – sun, water, earth, air, fauna, and flora. This thematic division, together with the graphic design, was further reflected in the naming of the estate’s streets, which bore the names of scientists and personalities associated with the respective areas. Their brief biographies, in Rathouský’s graphic and material design, were placed on encyclopedic panels hung on adjacent houses’ gable walls.
The basic subdivision of Jižní Město II’s visual code was built upon its next level on the residential complexes’ markings. The symbols used for these markings were highly abstracted, derived from the assigned thematic areas of individual elements that were assigned – sun, water, earth, air, fauna, and flora. (photo computer colourized)
Rathousky's design for the signage of the houses, with street names and numbers
A sketch of the campaign poster and sign targeting new residents with the text:
“We are getting a NEW RESIDENTIAL HOUSING COMPLEX from use. ARE WE REALLY GOING TO CREATE AN URBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD OUT OF IT? This is a question that only we, the new residents of HORNÍ KUNRATICE, have to ask ourselves today. Architects, builders and other experts provide us with the basic material conditions for this, and the rest is ONLY UP TO US.”
The color scheme also reflected the individual units’ affiliation in the housing estate. For each thematic set, Rathouský defined a base color built upon specific symbolism. Six initial contrasting shades were combined with complementary colors of darker earth tones specified by the architects for each set of buildings for painting on large surfaces. For example, the gable walls were painted with these colors, as well as certain parts of technical buildings, which made each set of buildings easier to identify, even from a distance.
A part of the exceptionally comprehensive identity system for the housing estate included elements such as large-scale maps and signposts.
A part of the exceptionally comprehensive identity system for the housing estate included elements such as large-scale maps and signposts. (Condition in the year 2017)
Rathouský’s orientation system for Jižní Město II included both monumental signage designed for long-distance views, as well as small-scale architectural features, including address number signs which served at close viewing distances at street level. A part of the exceptionally comprehensive identity system for the housing estate included elements such as large-scale maps and signposts, markings for boiler rooms and connection points, and visual styles and smaller navigational elements for medical facilities, nursery schools, local veterinary clinics and smaller shopping centers (with names in the spirit of the identity like Sunflower, Rose, Cornflower, and Protea).
The thematic division of the whole concept was further reflected in the naming of the estate’s streets, which bore the names of scientists and personalities associated with the respective areas. Their brief biographies, in Rathouský’s graphic and material design, were placed on encyclopedic panels hung on adjacent houses’ gable walls.
The thematic division of the whole concept was further reflected in the naming of the estate’s streets, which bore the names of scientists and personalities associated with the respective areas. Their brief biographies, in Rathouský’s graphic and material design, were placed on encyclopedic panels hung on adjacent houses’ gable walls.
As with the Prague Metro, Dům bytové kultury, and the Hotel Intercontinental, the designer’s distinctive typeface became a characteristic and unifying part of the individual elements of Jižní Město II’s orientation system. Rathouský uniformly applied Civitas’ purpose-designed character set for texts with all information. As with Alphapipe, Civitas’ basic design is a simple geometric construction. Its proportions, however, are noticeably narrowed, which is expressed especially in its oval characters, which have a more rectangular design. The morphology of other characters is also completely different — most visibly in the narrow letters A and M, the more angular curves of B, P, and R, as well as the typical K with its small wedge. A characteristic detail throughout the Civitas typeface is its interrupted strokes and open curves, which are typical in the lower case a, b, g, e, k, p, q, and in the upper case A, B, K, P, Q, R, and others. The second distinctive drawing detail is in the oval ink traps that extend deep into the letters that have diagonals, such as the characters A, V, W, a, v, and w.
In designing the current digital version of BC Civitas (2024), we based our design on base materials of upper and lower case letterforms on small (around 15cm) film that was originally photographically enlarged and reduced.
In designing the current digital version of BC Civitas (2024), we based our design on base materials of upper and lower case letterforms on small (around 15cm) film that was originally photographically enlarged and reduced.
Jiří Rathouský’s work was characterized by a highly rational approach, which proved to be particularly successful in systematic solutions for comprehensive orientation systems. Although the orientation system for Jižní Město II was not fully completed due to the broken continuity of construction after the changes of November 1989, the incomplete part that was implemented can be considered (along with the Prague Metro) among Rathouský’s most comprehensive and longest-serving graphic design projects in architecture.
Pavel Coufalík
(*1985, Zlín) is a graphic designer focusing mainly on the design of visual identities, publications and the application of graphic design in architecture. Selected topics related to the issues of wayfinding systems, lighting elements in architecture, the history of visual identities or the visuality of his native Zlín are treated in the author’s publications awarded the National Student Design Award, the Czech Grand Design Award or the Most Beautiful Czech Books.Read more:
Special thanks to Marta Silvestrová for support and Moravian gallery for pictures and sources.
Translation: Douglas Arellanes
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Read more on the story:
Civitas typeface: The typeface designed for the orientation system of Prague’s Jižní Město II. prefab housing estate.
Hotel Thermal: The Spa Center is considered an extraordinary achievement of 1960s Czechoslovak architecture and design.
Alphapipe typeface: The telltale sign of the Gama book edition of the Odeon publishing house.
Barell typeface: The typeface designed for represent the visual style of the Thermal Hotel.