The basic layout of Smetana Square, which developed organically alongside the main Havlíček Square from the 13th century onwards, was determined by the extensive redevelopment of the old buildings during the 1970s (HN-VP-SN1, HB-VP-SN2).

The redevelopment, which was necessitated by the dire housing situation in the town caused by significant population growth, was followed by the construction of cooperative and state housing. The project, including the modification of the public space, was designed by the Pardubice architect Lubomír Driml. However, the original urban concept from 1967 was not fully implemented and suffered in terms of quality due to the construction of standardized prefabricated buildings between 1978 and 1983, one of which (1983) ruthlessly cut across the traditional medieval pedestrian route leading to Smetana Square.

In the 1990s, the square was gradually transformed again, but without a clear concept. For example, the statue of a militiaman was removed and the decorative pool in the lower part of the square, which was no longer in use at the time, was filled in.

In connection with the reconstruction of the neighbouring Havlíček Square (HB‑VP-R-HN), the town commissioned Aleš Burian and Gustav Křivinka in 2009 to study the revitalization of the then-neglected Smetana Square. This led to a request to reopen the route between the squares by removing a prefabricated building, which the town of Havlíčkův Brod approved and had demolished in 2011. The subsequent implementation was carried out in two stages.

The first stage in 2015 focused on restoring the square’s transport services – it reopened the old communication path while simultaneously improving connections to the surrounding buildings.

In the second stage, the square was redesigned as a residential park with pedestrian paths. An area suitable for holding markets was designed in the lower part. The architects used the original cobblestone paving, which had been preserved in this area since before the redevelopment, to pave the square. A cross made of compacted concrete was incorporated into this space, referring to the demolished Chapel of St John of Nepomuk, which had stood here until the 1970s. 

The surrounding sidewalks were surfaced with large-format granite slabs, and a wooden slatted walkway was created to ensure barrier-free access to the commercial parterre.

For the architects, the symbolic heart of the sloping square became the grassy green area of the park, dominated by two solitary trees emphasising the central axis. The landscape architect Sendler complemented this axis with lower avenue planting along the paved edges of the square. The large green area was subsequently intersected by diagonal concrete pathways.

Water became the key connecting element for the entire reconstruction, gushing from a massive granite pump with a fountain in the upper part of the square, flowing along diagonal pathways through the central part of the park and ending in a fountain on the paved marketplace in the lower part of the square. The effect is enhanced by unconventional street furniture, some of which was previously used on Havlíček Square.

This outstanding restoration has visually connected the entire square and transformed it from a grey, uninviting space into a lively town centre, which today functions as a place of relaxation for residents and visitors.