Localisation: Lannova třída
“Ionic Column” is a tall concrete sculpture that resembles a column built from car tyres. These are not real tyres, however, but concrete casts or sculptural reproductions of them. The object has the form of a vertical pillar set in a square. It is massive, heavy and symmetrical. From a distance, it looks like an urban column made of repeated, circular segments. The shaft of the column is 50 centimetres wide, but at the top the object reaches a width of about 1.5 metres. In height, the column reaches the second storey of the townhouses on Lannova Street.
The whole is kept in shades of grey. The lower parts are lighter, ash-grey, in places almost white. The upper parts are darker, graphite-coloured and more shaded. The concrete surface is matt, dirty in places, with visible discolouration and darker streaks. The material does not pretend to be smooth stone. It retains the roughness, small losses and irregularities characteristic of concrete.
At the very bottom there is a wide, round element resembling a large tyre lying flat on the ground. It serves as the base. It has a thick, rounded edge and a clear tread pattern. On its surface there are geometric incisions: zigzags, grooves and repeated rectangular protrusions. This lowest ring is wider than the elements placed above it, which is why it stabilises the whole composition.
Above the base, further concrete rings are arranged. They are placed one on top of another like horizontal rings. They differ in width, diameter and tread pattern. Some have fine, regular grooves. Others are rougher, with larger protrusions and deeper grooves. Because of this, the shaft of the sculpture is not uniform. It consists of many separate bands, each with its own rhythm and its own texture.
The lower and middle parts of the column are the most legible. The concrete “tyres” form an orderly stack here. Their sides are rounded, and the spaces between them form dark, horizontal gaps. These gaps clearly divide the sculpture into segments. In some places, the concrete looks as if it is covered with dust or slightly worn. Darker dirt gathers in the recesses of the tread, emphasising the surface pattern.
Higher up, the column becomes darker and visually heavier. In the upper part there are segments with a deep, block-like tread. One of them forms a band around the shaft, made up of strong, regular protrusions. Above it, further rings are visible, now almost black. Their details are less legible, but it is still clear that the whole has been made from forms resembling tyres.
At the top, the sculpture refers to an Ionic capital. On both sides of the upper part of the column there are two side, circular elements. They are arranged symmetrically, like the coiled volutes characteristic of Ionic columns. Here, these volutes are also built from seven tyres. Six of them are small and smooth. In the centre of the volutes there is one larger tyre. These structures project to the sides, widening the top of the sculpture and giving it the recognisable shape of a capital. The centres of the volutes are empty; the urban buildings can be seen through them.
What is interesting in this object is the combination of two orders. On the one hand, the sculpture refers to classical architecture: it has a base, a shaft and a capital, and its title points to the Ionic column. On the other hand, all these parts have been built from forms associated with tyres: utilitarian, contemporary objects connected with street traffic and cars. The concrete additionally strengthens the weight of this composition. This is not a light play with shape, but a massive, grey object that transfers the motif of the tyre into the language of the monument and architecture.