Contemporary vista of Chrudim

Depicting of towns and cities came a long way from the early schematic drawings of the Middle Ages, all the way through the Renaissance paintings and engravings, up to the prints of 18th and 19th centuries. All these images generally known as vistas emerged as a testimony to the beauty of the city for contemporaries and for the future. Today we have these works as valuable sources allowing us insight into the history of the constantly changing urban organism. We can see on them long gone houses, city walls, the surrounding countryside and churches before the conversions or fire.

Although it might seem that this is a very slow process, cities are constantly evolving. Often it takes just a few years or months and our squares, parks, and buildings will change beyond recognition. It is hard to recall how our environment actually appeared 5, 10 or 50 years ago. Photos provide only partial information on this because they fail to adequately capture the three-dimensional reality.

Model of Chrudim is conceived as a contemporary vista. This means that it captures as accurately as possible the character of the city in April 2015, when materials for it's creation were collected. Because the authors of the model recognize the potential importance of such work for the future, they put extreme emphasis on accuracy and faithfulness to reality. Although the model is graphically abstracted, geometrically it corresponds to the reality with an accuracy of ten centimeters, and is thus the most comprehensive depiction of the city in its history.

Melown Maps screenshot

Photogallery of Chrudim model

Photos of finished model and making-of documentation

Melown Maps screenshot

Virtual 3D scan of the city

The main base for the production of a detailed model was Rough 3D scan of the city derived from 650 aerial photographs taken on Easter 2015. This reference enabled an accurate representation of spatial relations in the city...

Videosestřih modelu

Chrudim Model video

Shots of the 3D printed model displayed on the Architecture week exhibition in Prague.

Videosestřih výroby modelu

Chrudim Model making-of video

Check out the video of the model's production, all the way from the modelling to the 3D printing and painting...

Virtual walk through digital model of the city

Due to the small physical scale of the model and protective cover the viewer can not appreciate enough to the depth of details involved in the model, this way you can see how it looks inside the world of model...

  • Landmarks

    Part of the informational value of the model is interactive lighting of 16 most important landmarks of the city accompanied with a brief description

    To view information about the selected building, place mouse over the red dot in the picture...

  • Archdeacon church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

    Three-naved Gothic church from the 13-14th century was rebuilt several times. The last major rebuild took place in the second half of the 19th century based on the designed by František Schmoranz. In that time, two Neo-Gothic towers and facade of the building were build.

  • The church of st. Michael

    Late Gothic cemetery church from the years 1519-1521. Single-aisle building is preserved almost in its original form. About 90 tombstones are set in the outer walls of the church. The cemetery around the church was closed in 1881 and converted into a park.

  • Museum of Baroque sculptures / the Capuchin monastery

    Baroque church of st. Joseph from 17th century was part of the Capuchin monastery built since 1656. The monastery was completely rebuilt after the abolition in 1949. The single-naved church building with the Loretto chapel and the Holy Sepulchre is currently hosting Museum of Baroque statues.

  • The Pardubice gate and the Ceregetti house

    14th century house was bought in 1712 by a royal magistrate Josef Antonín Ceregetti. His sons, painter Josef and plasterer Ignác significantly contributed to the city's architecture. On the ground floor there is a hall with a richly decorated stucco ceiling. Pedestrian gate called Pardubice Gate was established in the 15th century beside the house.

  • The column of Lord's transfiguration with fountain

    The creation of Sandstone Baroque column from 1719 – 1732 involved several outstanding sculptors and stonemasons. The fountains were added to the column in 1842-1843. This exceptionally high quality work demonstrates the sovereign status of the city in the early modern art history of the East Bohemian region.

  • Old town hall

    The original building dates back to the times of the Hussites. Extensive remodeling, including inscription on the ground floor and arching over Fortenská street took place around 1560. The object acquired baroque facade in 1720, the statues of Iusticia and Caritas were installed after a fire in 1806, clocks in 1836.

  • The gunpowder bastion

    The bastion stands in the northeastern corner of the city's fortifications. It was built in 1435 and designed to be defend by small fire-arms. On the the ground floor 5 portholes were preserved. It is the youngest part of the fortifications. Currently it hosts an exhibition about the town's fortifications.

  • Chrudimská beseda and the Regional museum

    Two building (Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque) were built for the needs of the former Industrial Museum for East Bohemia in Prague, they were designed by architect Jan Vejrych in 1897 - 1901. Extraordinary artistic decoration of both buildings and a beautiful concert hall are significant in addition to muzeum's collections.

  • The Karel Pippich theatre

    The theater was built in 1931-1934 in the style of civil constructivism according to the project by J. Freiwald and J. Böhm. It was inaugurated with Smetana's opera Libuše. The facade is decorated with a statue of Thalia, muse of comedy. The theater is named after Karel Pippich (1849-1921), prominent musician and dramatist.

  • The Na Puši water tower and the waterworks

    The first mention of a house built on the city wall is from the year 1688. Part of the house is a Renaissance water tower, from which water was discharged into the two fountains in the city and later to the Capuchin monastery. In 1670 a new pumping station was build, which pushed the water up to the water tower Na Puši.

  • The Mydlářovský house

    Originally two-winged Gothic house was bought in 1571 by municipal councilor Matěj Mydlář, who had it rebuild in 1573 - 1577 into a monumental Renaissance building with an arcaded facade supplemented with allegorical reliefs. In 1972 the building was reconstructed for the Museum of Puppetry.

  • Municipality / New town hall

    Originally two separate houses, gained its present appearance in the year 1883 according to the plans of Chrudim builders Josefa and Františka Staněk. Enlarged house was bought in the year 1846 by later first constitutional reeve John Martini. Municipal authorities have leased this building since 1850.

  • The Rozvodovský House

    Burgher's House (documented in writing from r. 1592) with Gothic core, Renaissance elements in the interior and Empire façade with allegorical themes and figural decoration. The current appearance dates from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The house got its name from the Rozvodovský family, who owned it in the years 1787- 1889.

  • The Khomovský House

    Originally Gothic house stands out by it's Renaissance and Empire portal. From the Baroque period comes facade and statue of the Virgin Mary. The house is documented in writing since 1546. It can be found on the oldest depiction of the main Chrudim square from 1587. The name of the house comes from a family Khomovy, which acquired the house in 1868.

  • The birthplace of Josef Ressel

    Josef Ressel (1793-1857) whose name is associated with many inventions (the press for wine and oil, theater stage mechanism, etc.) was born and spent his childhood in this house. Ressel gained world fame by the invention of the propeller, which marked a turning point in the development of marine steam navigation.

  • The birthplace of Jan Nepomuk Štěpánek

    Originally Gothic, in Renaissance style rebuilt town house with a classical facade. Birthplace of Jan Nepomuk Štěpánek (1783-1844) - actor, director, writer, translator, journalist and one of the directors of Stavovské Theatre in Prague.

Creators of Chrudim model

Making of the city model required cooperation of several subjects