Ostrava a place where monumentality and melancholy meet

If I wanted to make a sketch about Ostrava, it would probably be a black and white one, where the shadows would dominate the picture and the lighter areas would act as ‘sparkling’ elements that illuminate momentarily the dark spots. This is a city that was once defined by the coal industry. Ostrava occupies the two banks of Ostrá river and is now trying to be redefined or rather to present itself again to the public through regeneration schemes. De-industrialization, a process both negative and positive in many aspects, has transformed the city of Ostrava. The large scale of the industrial sites, the machinery and the infrastructure for the ironworks has had such a big impact both on the image and the perception of the city.