Airship Gulliver, Architectural structure in Holešovice, Prague, Czech Republic
Airship Gulliver is a 42-meter-long wooden and steel structure that rises above the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. The shape resembles a zeppelin, and the interior functions as a venue for events and gatherings within the contemporary art space.
Leoš Válka conceived the airship in 2013 as a contrast to the concrete DOX building and invited Martin Rajniš to design it. Rajniš and David Kubík developed the project in 2014–2015, with engineer Zbyněk Šrůtek. The structure was built in 2016 by Stylbau s.r.o., with wooden cladding by Timber Design and steel work by Elektro Mosev.
The name alludes to Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, which includes the flying island of Laputa, and to the airships of early 20th-century utopian dreams. The structure was designed for literary programmes, hosting readings and meetings with literature year-round.
Access is through the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art located at Poupetova 1 in Prague 7, and it is best to allow time for a full visit. The structure is easy to spot when approaching the center, with clear pathways leading to and around it.
The airship's name refers to Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, which includes the flying island of Laputa. The structure links two roof terraces of different heights, and its 14 larch-wood trusses are tied by steel cables to a central steel pin. The gondola is reached by a ladder from inside the hull.
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