Jiří Kobrle prize
It is a great honour for us to be able to create a prize for a gathering of Czechoslovak aircraft that bears the name of Czech aviation legend Jiri Kobrle.
The price itself is a statue made of fibre reinforced fine anthracite concrete. There are three copies made every year for winners of three disciplines of Gathering of Czechoslovak aircraft.
MK II
Mark II is the second version of Jiří Kobrle's award. It is much more sophisticated, stable and dignified than the first version. While the second version is based on the same concept, it is enriched with abstraction and symbolism to better match the character and spirit of the event it refers to. The Gathering of Czechoslovak Aircraft is about the relationship between man and machine. It is about a kind of symbiosis where man helps the machine to live, so that the machine in turn enables him to break free from gravity and take off.
MK I
We have been thinking for some time about what could best capture the essence of the award and embody it clearly. We thought about various engine parts, wings, rudders, compasses, flaps and all sorts of dial combinations. But nothing had such beautiful curves and clear expression as the Zlin Z-42 propeller blade. So the first version of the award shows a simple propeller split in the middle of the rotor. It was clear that the base was not ideal, but it was something to bounce off of for further development.
Making of
The model of the award was made of sculptural white plaster and after drying was gradually sanded to the final shape. The model was then moulded and cast. The casting was done in high quality coloured concrete reinforced with fibreglass and the final surface was preserved with nano-wax. Elbe River aggregate was then embedded in the base, pushing the centre of gravity lower to the base and aiding price stability, which is particularly important in the windy conditions that prevail at airports where it normally awaits its new owners.
read more about the award on our blog
