Havel's Place is a project of memorial places dedicated to the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel. The place consists of two garden chairs connected by a round table and a tree usually going through its middle and it should represent a place for dialog and understanding. The original idea for "Havel's Place" came from the Czech Ambassador to the United States Petr Gandalovič. He invited Bořek Šípek, an architect and designer, to create a piece of public art with President Václav Havel and his democratic views in mind. Šípek came up with a simple yet creative design symbolising "Democratic Debate" comprising two metal garden chairs connected to a table around a Linden Tree, the national tree of the Czech Republic. His idea was to create a gathering place in a public space to promote dialogue, discussion and freedom of speech. Bořek Šípek called the installation "Democracy Talks" and referred to it as "a place where people can meet and exercise their freedom of speech in a democratic dialogue with others". The first Havel's Place was installed in the grounds of Georgetown University in Washington D.C on 2 October 2013. It was dedicated by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Dagmar Havlová, Havel's widow.
Visit a recently reconstructed inner area of Jan Perner Transport Faculty, take a seat on the Václav Havel's place and take a photo of yourself sitting there.
