Areál

Areál is a noun used in Czech and Slovak to denote a defined geographic area that contains buildings or facilities and is managed as a single unit. It designates a coherent complex, often bounded by fences or clearly marked boundaries, and intended for a particular use. Common instances include industrial areas, corporate premises, university or office campuses, stadiums and exhibition grounds, airports, parks, or military installations.

Areály are typically owned or administered by one organization, and access may be restricted or controlled. The term emphasizes the spatial unity of the space rather than its individual buildings, and it is applied to both open and built environments. In usage, it appears in phrases such as areál firmy, areál průmyslový, areál letiště, areál koupaliště, or areál školy, describing the entire enclosed place rather than a single structure.

Etymology and status: the word areál is borrowed from German Areal and adapted in Czech and Slovak, with usage expanding in the 20th century. In modern usage it remains a practical, administrative term used in real estate, planning, and everyday language to refer to the whole facility or zone rather than to its components.

See also: complex (as a general concept for a group of buildings), campus (educational or corporate), industrial zone. Areál is distinct from broader terms such as území (territory) or prostor (space), as it connotes a specifically bounded, purpose-driven ensemble.