The Garden of Present is a green public space covering an area of 9,000 m2 around PLATO’s main seat, the heritage site of the former slaughterhouse.

The garden uses the ethical and practical principles of permaculture, i.e., its ecological and meaningful design. Vegetation planted includes eight old regional apple varieties, a flowerbed of perennials, medicinal herbs and weeds purposefully planted among them. We plan to plant mainly trees and bushes with edible fruits – hawthorn, shadbush, chokeberry, and Cornelian cherry – thus creating an edible garden for people and animals. The green area includes a naturally incorporated biotope for water animals and plants: irises, cattail, calthas, forget-me-nots, sweet flags, and water mint.

PLATO’s surroundings are grass areas mixed with meadows and patches of perennial meadow herbs, while the paths use threshing floors. In paved areas, original slag stones, kept for this purpose during the reconstruction, were used and incorporated into the gallery exterior. The area will also be equipped with street furniture, such as benches, and more vegetation is planned to be planted over time.

Authors: Robert Konieczny and KWK Promes, MS-projekce s.r.o. Author of vegetation adjustments and permaculture elements: Denisa Tomášková Collaboration: PLATO and MAPPA Ostrava (Městský ateliér prostorového plánování a architektury) Investor: City of Ostrava The garden was founded in autumn 2022.