Designed by Mjölk architekti, The Guard Patrol comprises a series of small stops in the form of steel and wood installations on the mountain above Rokytnice in the Czech Republic.
The original intention of the local municipality was to create a classic lookout tower in the area; however, the topography of the existing landscape ultimately proved unsuitable for this due to a lack of good views from standard heights. In response, the architects returned with a concept of several smaller stops on the rocks running along the top of the mountain.
The stops draw inspiration from the town’s coat of arms by translating its four patrons – the Fox, the Bear, the Sheep, and the Miner (i.e. the Guard Patrol) - into built forms made of light steel structure sheathed with oak cladding. Contrasting against the oak cladding are handrail frames of black painted steel with stainless steel mesh inserts.
Due to the remote location of the stops, the steel structures are composed of smaller steel parts that can be more easily transported to the site. Special steel anchors in drill holes up to 9 meters deep anchor the structures to the rock.
