This project defies easy categorisation – it’s not quite a renovation, not quite a new construction, but something in between. Prague-based practice Facha Architekti has inserted a compact contemporary dwelling into the body of an old agricultural barn: structurally independent and entirely self-contained. ‘Box in a Barn’, as the project is aptly named, serves as a retreat for a client whose family works the surrounding farmstead.

Early conversations explored renovating the farmstead's existing residential wing, but the brief gradually evolved toward something much more interesting, with the goal of leaving the host structure completely unaltered: a new living unit placed inside the barn itself.

What makes the outcome so arresting is the refusal to soften the relationship between box and barn. No attempt has been made to modernise the surrounding structure, nor to make the new volume defer to it. The new insertion is unmistakably contemporary – a simple timber box clad in black asphalt, its form derived from the barn's geometry yet held in deliberate tension with it. The unit sits slightly elevated above the original floor, which continues uninterrupted beneath. At its threshold, a concrete plane flows inward from the courtyard, dissolving the boundary between interior, open barn and the garden of old apple trees beyond.

Inside, the approach is deliberately understated. Birch plywood dominates – its warmth and grain providing texture without ornament. A single built-in block of black-dyed MDF consolidates the kitchen, bathroom and storage into one element, keeping the remainder of the plan open and unencumbered.

Though conceived for seasonal use, underfloor heating and insulation make year-round occupation totally viable. The barn itself functions as a passive climatic buffer, moderating both summer heat and winter cold for the volume within.

Architecture is full of renovations and replacements. Moments of genuine adaptation are far harder to find. 'Box in the Barn' is simple in its premise – and wonderfully clever in the execution of that premise.

This is the latest instalment of The Inside Story, Wallpaper’s series spotlighting intriguing, innovative and industry-leading interior design.

Oblouková 171 in Žatec is a building that almost wasn't. The Czech townhouse sheltered the same family for four decades before falling into serious neglect – and now emerges as one of the most compelling restoration projects in recent memory.

The story begins in the 1920s, when the current owners' great-great-grandparents settled in the town. Successive generations lived there until the Velvet Revolution, after which the house fell into disuse. By the time it passed to its current owners as an inheritance, it was barely standing. The roof leaked, ceilings were caving in, entire sections of the roof truss were missing and dry rot had spread through the structure.

The inheritors, as it happened, were architects – Jan and Barbora Hora of Ora – and they saw potential where others might have seen a write-off. When they discovered a spot in the attic where the family had hidden moonshine behind a beam, their minds were made up: the house had to be saved.

The renovation took eight years, and was predictably gruelling. Steel tie rods were used to brace the entire building; a collapsed vault was rebuilt; and a concrete slab replaced a ceiling so waterlogged it had sprouted a destructive fungus large enough, as the owners put it, to fill a skillet. Most demanding of all was the three-tiered hop-drying attic – a structure typical of Žatec and its hop-growing heritage – which required specialist craftsmen to restore.

From the outset, salvage and reuse were guiding principles. The owners had spent years collecting reclaimed materials – old floor tiles, handmade bricks, antique beams – and Oblouková 171 finally gave them a home. Rotten ceiling joists were replaced with hand-hewn beams sourced from a demolished house 400 kilometres away; red marble tiles were rescued from a skip; courtyard paving came from Šatov tiles that had sat in a barn for a century. The result is something of a Frankenstein house – a patchwork of parts gathered far and wide, stitched together with care and conviction.

Recreate the mood

Where new elements were unavoidable, they were handled with utmost taste. Custom ash-wood doors reinterpret traditional panelled designs; new windows faithfully match the profiles of the originals. The street façade was the thorniest problem: stripped of its detailing in the 1990s, it required historical photographs just to establish what had been lost. The architects then chose reinterpretation over reproduction, restoring the underlying geometry while simplifying the ornament. The result, with its pretty pastel symmetry, looks like something out of a Wes Anderson film.

The completed building now functions as guest apartments, a family holiday retreat and a taproom serving craft beer from a local brewery, which is fitting: Žatec – recently inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List – built its identity on hops. Oblouková 171 now raises a glass to that legacy while adding a new chapter of its own.

A new community project from No Architects, located in the heart of the Czech Republic’s Ore Mountains, creates residential holiday accommodation from an overlooked and abandoned structure.

Once home to a substantially German-speaking population, these mountains in the north-west of the country became sparse and empty after post-1945 expulsions. This is the former Sudetenland, once a flashpoint in 20th-century history, now finding a fresh identity as part of the Czech Republic.

This project breathes new life into a formerly abandoned structure, one of many thousands in the hundreds of abandoned villages in the region. After the war, the structure had enjoyed life as family mountain accommodation, part of what was then Czechoslovakia’s network of summer camps. The building had housed a ski club, with add-ons and accretions gradually overwriting the original character and features.

No Architects – Jakub Filip Novák, Daniela Baráčková, Klára Rašková, Lenka Juračková, and Jana Kutáček Sedlická – set out to bring the structure back to life, emphasising the heroic qualities of the architecture whilst also matching demanding modern standards of energy use.

‘We decided to definitively abandon the line of melancholic nostalgia and the superficial mountain romanticism for self-indulgent tourists,’ say the architects. ‘We therefore wanted to break away from the myth of an eternally abandoned and decaying region.’

Consolidating the additions that had sprung up across the meadows over the decades, No Architects pared the visible building back to the restored original house connected to a radically overhauled structure to by a single-storey link structure. ‘What didn't fit, we mercilessly buried in the slope so that only a single farmstead remained on the slope from the pile of houses,’ the architects say.

The images are elegant but deceptive, for summers are short here and winters can be long and brutal. It snows around 100 days of the year and average annual temperatures are around 4°C. Then there’s the rain – which falls at more than twice the average rate for the country. The landscape is swathed in fog for around a third of the year, so a house must be a robust refuge against the environment, whilst also guarding against the temptation of prolific energy consumption.

Heat is collected from a ground source pump buried in the meadow surrounding the house, with underfloor heating throughout. Water is drawn from a new well, and a newly restored pond also re-shapes the landscape and drainage.

The whole complex is designed to be operated remotely. ‘Everything in the house, from cameras to lights and locks to window blinds, can be controlled remotely under a complex integrated system controlled via a satellite connection to civilization,’ say the architects.

Inside, the use of timber, terrazzo, and ceramic tiles add colour and texture to the white painted walls and ceilings, paired with hard-wearing wooden furniture and staircases. As a vacation space, the apartments have simple sleeping areas consisting of ladder-accessed lofts and bunkbeds, and the durable aesthetic is also carried over into the caretaker's house.

The choice of white for walls and new steel roofs was radical, extending even to the colour of the gravel for the access roads, mixed with local Ora Mountain stone. The new finishes are described as a ‘gleaming white steel suit,’ bolstering the performance and stability of the structure.

Although the Midsommar vibes are strong in these atmospheric images, which capture the building at the height of summer awash with the traces of past and future occupancy, the end project is designed to be robust, warm and for a life of hard and loving use.

According to the architects, ‘[the project is for] even the most demanding visitors – boisterous children who happily run around wildly, their hair covered in smoke, their fingers sticky with resin, and occasionally holding some beautiful natural object in their hands.’

NoArchitects.cz, @NoArchitectscz

The Constitution of the Czech Republic just got a contemporary makeover by graphic designer Ondřej Báchor, paper-craft specialist Matěj Činčera and typographer Jan Novák, who joined forces after winning the design competition for the commission.

Their collaborative work is based on the connection of historical tradition, book craft and contemporary technologies. 'We worked with paper that is associated with Czech book tradition, and at the same time carries civility and openness, which we perceive as close to democratic values,' says Báchor.

A new design for the Constitution of the Czech Republic

The main feature of the design is a motif of the country’s state emblem with a pair of two-tailed lions and a pair of eagles, each representing different Czech regions. The emblem became a structural part of the book and doubles as a symbolic shield of Czech democracy. 'We have [translated] the emblem into a relief [that combines] precision layering of paper with contemporary expression,' says Činčera.

The symbolic colours of the country – blue, red and white – are used throughout the design. A dominant role was given to the colour blue, which represents stability and dignity. The inner block of the book is designed to be easy to remove and replace in the event of an amendment to the constitution. On each sheet of paper, the authors created a relief background print of the emblem, which can be seen only from a certain angle.

The bespoke Democratia typeface was designed for the constitution. 'We were inspired by the calligraphic font from the 1920s constitution, from which we adopted the narrowed proportions and the high contrast of the strokes. The result is an easily readable, yet distinctive font that balances ceremonial and civil expression,' concludes Novák.

Designers are already planning to create a smaller, civil version of the ceremonial book for the general public. The overall result is a rare example of contemporary design used for such formal state purposes. It was also appreciated by the jury of the Czech Grand Design Award 2026, which recognised the designers in the category of graphic design.

Perched high in a late-1930s Prague apartment building with views of the Vltava River, this 115 sq m residence offers a masterclass in thoughtful contrasts. Renovated in 2026 by Prokop Hartl for a young family, it balances contemporary, industrial-leaning minimalism with a playful streak – pastel accents nod to its art deco-era origins, while rich oak parquet warms things up.

The apartment is organised and optimised. Hartl has orchestrated materials and spaces with precision: built-in oak veneer wardrobes define circulation paths, marking transitions between new poured polyurethane floors and the restored parquet, while restored doors topped with new transoms draw natural light deep into the interior.

By removing a partition between two original rooms, the designers created a generous living area – the showpiece of the home – that frames the river like a living painting. Structural columns, rather than being constraints, are celebrated as dramatic focal points, while exposed concrete beams introduce industrial grit that complements the apartment’s softer touches.

The kitchen, once hidden away in a former maid’s room, now occupies the centre of the home. It’s functional yet sculptural, featuring a dark blue-stained island, natural granite countertops and oversized handles. A custom dining table in hot-dip galvanised steel and bleached pine plywood bridges the kitchen and living spaces.

Meanwhile, the former kitchen area has been transformed into a serene bedroom suite, complete with a wall of storage and a walk-in shower enclosed in glass blocks – ensuring privacy without compromising light. Custom-built furniture, bespoke pieces from studio and online store anýz and refurbished originals strike a balance between the contemporary and historical.

Throughout, furniture and decor are used sparingly and carefully. Artworks by Lukáš Koubek and furnishings and fittings from brands such as Franke, Grohe, Hay, Ideal Lux, Kluś, Rako, Sapeli, Ton and ABB reinforce the apartment’s deliberate approach: nothing is extraneous, nothing is an afterthought. The result is a veritable choreography of light, material and space.

Recreate the mood

Engulfed in a forest, a bright red house cuts a distinctly contemporary figure. Welcome to Villa Jevany, a new home in the Czech Republic, designed by dynamic local studio Architektura. Rather than let the residence merge into its leafy surroundings, the firm wanted to create a structure that visually announces itself. Hence the façade in bold, cherry red – a colour chosen to complement and contrast with its green backdrop.

Tour this unusual red house in the Czech Republic

With only 800 inhabitants, Jevany is a municipality in the Czech Republic’s Central Bohemian Region. The plot, a generous 3,027 sq m, is full of nature, home to deer and birds, and with mature trees that tower up to ten metres above the building site. Forest plots in this area tend to be long and bordered by a road.

The client called upon architect and studio founder David Kraus, having seen one of his earlier projects nearby. His brief called for a contemporary home with industrial touches. Kraus and principal architect Miroslav Styk wanted to create a strong visual contrast, as Kraus explains: ‘The main inspiration was to put a man-made object against pure nature, and create a contrast between the house and the nature around – a red object versus the green forest’.

The architects worked with the sloping topography. They removed the remnants of an existing structure that once occupied the site, and this left a pit nearly four metres lower than the adjacent road, into which the new house was set. As a result, upon approach from the road, the residence initially appears as a single storey with car parking. In fact, the cars are parked on the roof of a hidden level below, which is only seen from the opposite side of the plot.

There is a central staircase that leads directly into a 3.5m-high living space, offering views of the forest. An irregular window arrangement nods to Dutch artist Piet Mondrian’s abstract compositions. A curved wall guides guests into the living room; from the outside, this curve introduces a distinct geometry within the otherwise orthogonal composition of the house's volumes.

The living space, dubbed the ‘day zone’, is a central area for cooking and relaxing. It's also an area of contrasts. The industrial-style red steel windows frame views of the soft, natural environment outside, while white walls are offset by black details. There are reddish stone surfaces in the kitchen, with black shelving, white doors, and a ‘floating’ steel fireplace.

The living space is connected to the house’s so-called ‘quiet zone’ by a long corridor, with built-in white cabinets along one side providing storage. This zone includes the main bedroom, with a large walk-in closet and a bathroom, as well as the children's bedrooms, and the corridor concludes with a door out to the garden.

While there’s an outdoor terrace, much of the garden has been left to grow organically, as the team didn't want to intervene too much with the natural surroundings.

archi.cz

Mimosa Architects have completed a modern mountain cottage – a replacement for an old timber structure in the hills above the Czech village of Strážné. The new structure, Strážné Cottage, is a wholesale replacement for a building that had been altered and updated countless times over the decades, leaving practically nothing worth saving, except for the spectacular site and some key timber elements.

Step inside this reimagined mountain cottage

Strážné Cottage is therefore not a reconstruction but, in the architects’ words, an attempt to ‘rediscover the spirit of the house’. The design team, Jana Zoubková, Petr Moráček, Pavel Matyska, and Eliška Vinklárková, have drawn on the very necessary features of the regional vernacular, starting with the steeply pitched roofs designed to minimise the weight of snow during the winter.

The cottage sits in the heart of a triangular sliver of mountainside plot. The main entrance is on the ground floor, while a bridge at first floor level provides direct access to the bedroom level. This level is defined by its four open-ended gables, with glazing set behind vertical wooden slats that neatly frame a circular opening on each elevation.

It’s a bravura statement that gives the building a very contemporary look – especially when nighttime illumination reveals the timber-clad interiors – without setting it apart from the more traditional houses in the region.

This first floor contains the primary bedroom suite along with two more double rooms; all have slender balconies concealed behind the slatted gables, with the circular cut-outs framing the verdant outlook across the Krkonoše, the Giant Mountains.

The upper level provides a sheltered stone terrace on the north elevation, looking down across the valley. ‘The aim of the design was to create an authentic cottage atmosphere without resorting to historicising elements devoid of genuine historical value,’ write the architects. A timber stair leads down to the main living areas on the ground floor, as well as another bedroom suite.

As a result, the plan is what one might call ‘traditional’, with cellular rooms and no open-plan spaces. ‘The main living room thus retains the atmosphere of an enclosed, safe, and intimate space,’ say Mimosa, ‘Its dimensions – and subsequently the scale of the other rooms – were determined by one of the few preserved elements: the exposed beam ceiling.’

The relatively generous scale of the structure (234 sq m) allowed for the insertion of the additional downstairs guest suite as well as a sauna. A subtle extension to the volume has been made between the original floorplan and the slope of the site, enabling Mimosa to add a long run of technical and storage space – ‘everything that may prove useful in the mountains.’ Here you’ll find ski and cycle storage, a workshop and boot room.

A ground-source heat pump and geothermal borehole provide heating and hot water. Fresh water comes from a nearby spring and there’s even on-site wastewater treatment. It’s not quite the archetypal off-grid cabin (mains electricity is provided), but Strážné Cottage certainly evokes the spirit of an earlier age without compromising comfort or style.

Mimosa.cz

Na Kukačkách is a new chalet set high up in the Giant Mountains in the north of the Czech Republic. Designed by Ivan Boroš, Juraj Calaj and Vítězslav Danda of Prague-based edit! architects, the project updates the region’s vernacular alpine architecture, remaining respectful to the time-honoured form of the traditional chalet while radically overhauling the interior arrangement.

Inside a modern chalet in the Giant Mountains

The three-storey chalet sits atop a stone-clad concrete plinth with the upper two levels clad in timber. The form and scale of the external volume, as well as the gable angle and material palette, are carefully defined by the mountainous region’s building codes.

Despite these restrictions, edit! worked with prefabricated cross-laminated timber panels on the upper levels, freeing up the main façade for the large windows and also adding a modicum of practicality to the remote hillside build.

Each gable is a meticulous geometric composition, with small windows that accommodate the proportions of the plinth and roof pitch. ‘While both gables had to remain strictly traditional, the side façades gave us room to introduce modern architectural elements,’ says Calaj, ‘This allowed us to implement large-format glazing in the main living area and at the summer entrance, maximising views into the surrounding countryside.’

The ground floor is set into the hillside, and the layout exploits this with a large west-facing horizontal picture window in the main living and dining area. On the east façade, the steepness of the slope enabled the architects to locate the main entrance at first floor level. The ground floor provides a bedroom, bathroom, storage and ski room, with its own direct access to the exterior.

Upstairs, tucked into the eaves, there are two additional bedrooms and another bathroom, with voids above the entrance and the dining space bridged by a gallery. The first floor is arranged as a large open-plan space, with a kitchen at one end and living area at the other. A generous family dining table adjoins the primary window, with the timber-clad ceiling soaring up to the apex of the roof.

The architects describe their approach as one of ‘vertical spatial connection,’ with the top floor gallery providing a view down into the living space, with rooflights set into the slope to increase the amount of daylight in the interior as well as maximise the views.’ Visual contact with nature is essential and significantly enhances the overall experience of staying in the mountains,’ Calaj says.

The 214 m² Na Kukačkách was still a difficult build, with a tricky location and a short construction season. ‘One key factor in the project’s success was the collaboration with the local contractor Registav,’ says the architect, ‘Their detailed knowledge of the demanding mountain conditions allowed us to precisely plan the installation of the prefabricated CLT panels and minimise the risk of weather-related interruptions.’

The result is a mountain cabin that transcends its typology, carving a warm and dynamic interior despite the challenges of the site.

editarchitects.com

If there’s one thing that Wallpaper* does well, it’s houses – spotlighting architecturally arresting gems from around the globe and spanning the spectrum of modern design. Our inboxes are overflowing with news of the world’s most boundary-pushing architectural projects, and we strive to bring you the very best.

To ensure you don’t miss a thing – and to showcase the scope of residential architecture today – we’ve launched a monthly series: The Architecture Edit. Each instalment will highlight our favourite houses of the month: buildings that demonstrate creative planning, innovative methods and, of course, aesthetic excellence.

A Williamsburg loft

Brooklyn studio Of Possible has completed 103 Grand Street, a loft-style residential building containing two duplexes and a triplex. Each unit is defined by triple-height spaces, tall windows and abundant daylight, evoking the neighbourhood’s industrial-conversion past. Architect Vincent Appel prioritised not just floor area but vertical volume, seeking to elevate spatial quality. Meanwhile, interiors feature tactile materials – timber, stone and linen-like textures – for an organic, minimalist feel. While the street façade adopts classic Brooklyn brick, the rear reveals playful stacked volumes clad in custom fluted terracotta, creating terraces and outdoor rooms that encourage neighbourly interaction.

A Czech studio

Päivä Architekti’s Studio Above the Golden Canyon extends an existing home in the Czech village of Luka pod Medníkem with a new timber structure woven into a steep, wooded site. The addition, which overlooks the Sázava River, includes an open studio with mezzanine, an en-suite bedroom and a utility zone, linked to the original house by a covered walkway that incorporates a mature oak tree. Constructed from steel, tanned larch cladding, engineered spruce interiors and concrete flooring, part of the studio cantilevers over the landscape, with large sliding glass panels dissolving the boundary between interior and nature.

An Australian sanctuary

Amongst the Eucalypts by Jason Gibney Design Workshop is a New South Wales holiday home that sits lightly on its site, following the natural contours to form outdoor rooms and sheltered courtyards. Despite its serene minimalism, the house is engineered for bushfire resilience – developed with bushfire specialists and local craftspeople. The design incorporates pivoting façade panels, retractable mesh shutters and durable materials that allow the building to shift from openness to full protection. Its concrete and fibre-cement shell creates an ‘armoured’ yet contemporary aesthetic, demonstrating that fire-resistant architecture can be elegant and sustainable.

A Miami retreat

A couple in Miami commissioned Brillhart Architecture to create a home immersed in a lush, jungle-like double lot in historic Morningside – an approach inspired by the neighbourhood’s garden origins and Florida’s tropical modernism. Rather than clearing the hundreds of mature trees on site, the architects mapped the vegetation and arranged a 4,100 sq ft residence as four pavilions connected by glass corridors and open walkways. Elevated 30 inches above ground, the home appears to float among strangler figs, live oaks and gumbo-limbo trees, while shou sugi ban siding and ipe shutters merge with the greenery, and calm interiors of pale stone and wood frame continuous garden views.

A mid-century icon

The Stahl House – an icon of mid-century modernism perched in the Hollywood Hills – was listed for sale for $25 million this month. Designed by Pierre Koenig and immortalised in Julius Shulman’s 1960 photograph, its glass-walled design and cinematic views helped define California modernism. Though modest at 2,200 sq ft with two bedrooms, it has remained largely unchanged since completion, and retains its original open-plan kitchen, unrenovated bathrooms and legendary pool. The home has remained in the Stahl family for 65 years and was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1999; it requires thoughtful stewardship, and the owners hope to find a buyer who appreciates its architectural legacy.

A renovated winery

Near Lisbon, Quinta do Álamo transforms the ruins of an old winery into a minimalist retreat for two musicians. Atelier Matteo Arnone organised the plan around symmetry, driven by the need for two identical recording studios. The long, linear structure is carved with voids and internal patios that draw daylight deep inside, while gentle curves introduce softness. The ground floor houses a combined living room, kitchen and bedroom; above, the twin studios are embedded within the building’s thick perimeter walls. Patios and passages thread through the home toward the pool, resulting in a serene, balanced composition defined by rhythm and light.

An Indian farmhouse

On a two-acre site in Karnataka, Taliesyn Design & Architecture’s House by the Grove reimagines a farmhouse as a porous, nature-immersed dwelling. The 5,400 sq ft home uses verandas, open walkways and sliding glass partitions to merge the indoors and out, while materials such as hand-finished cement, steel, Sira stone and Kota stone root the architecture in its boulder-strewn landscape. A soaring great room with operable façades forms the social heart, flanked by long verandas beneath a pitched roof clad in Mangalore tiles. Bedrooms feature open-to-sky bathrooms, and a second floor – accessed via an external stair – contains a library, another en-suite bedroom and walkways overlooking the great hall.

A London rooftop

Studio Felicity Bell has transformed a Clerkenwell rooftop into a minimalist home with sweeping views across London. Built atop a former industrial building once inhabited by the owners, the addition is set back from the street façade to form a wraparound terrace and reduce visual impact. The new structure’s columns align with the original building’s piers, creating a grid that alternates between open, pergola-like bays and glazed panels. Inside, a generous open-plan living space surrounded by glass frames views of the City and BT Tower. The adaptable interior to shifts between working, living and hosting, with a stained-oak monolith conceals a studio, desk and guest bed.

Dubbed the Studio Above the Golden Canyon, Päivä Architekti’s extensive overhaul of an existing house in the Czech village of Luka pod Medníkem, involved adding a substantial extension connected to the existing house with a new covered terrace. With a dramatic site set above the Sázava River, the new structure contains an open-plan studio with a mezzanine above, along with an en-suite bedroom and utility area.

Explore this sensitively designed, Czech Republic timber studio

The architects, Miloš Munzar with Tomáš Kovalčík and Klára Jeníková, thoroughly explored the steep wooded plot to find the right spot for the addition. ‘When searching for a suitable location and volume, we respected the wedge-shaped shape of the land, the configuration of the terrain, and the existing mature trees,’ they say. ‘It turned out that it was important to preserve the view from the house's garden to the Sázava valley and the top of the Medník hill.’

The new structure is set on the edge of the slope, at the point where the garden disappears into the forest. One corner of the studio reaches out over the slope, while an existing mature oak tree is incorporated into the structure of the covered walkway. Sliding glass windows open up the new studio space to this sheltered outdoor space.

Where the new meets the old, the structure is enclosed; in this area is the staircase leading up to the mezzanine and the kitchen. The mezzanine, described as a ‘simple hanging gallery’, is a seating area with windows overlooking the valley – the wooden structure is top hung from the room beams.

Once the piling was in place, the relatively simple steel and timber construction was undertaken by the client in collaboration with several key specialists. Exterior cladding uses a tanned larch that blends with the surrounding forest and will weather and patinate with age. Inside, engineered spruce bioboard provides a uniform for walls and ceilings, with a concrete floor.

All furniture is integrated wherever possible, from the cantilevered bed to the large Japanese-style bathtub that stands on the terrace. It’s joined by a glass-walled sauna structure with spectacular treetop views. The new studio forms a counterpoint to the original stone house, with its cantilevered extension over the garden.

Storage and even kitchen cabinets and workstations are concealed behind folding wooden doors, with a wheeled kitchen island creating ultimate flexibility within the space. Black-painted steel structure, balustrades and lighting tracks contrasts with the light wood. The mezzanine and stair are protected by a safety mesh, and the overall impression is of a flexible interior overlaid on a wooden core.

Päivä.cz

It’s not exactly easy to pinpoint where the Wallpaper* editors will be. From design festivals to fashion weeks and OOO adventures, there’s always something exciting on our team’s calendars. Keep reading to find out where the magazine’s staff members will be heading in the new year.

Wallpaper* editors’ 2025 getaway plans

LA: Charlotte Gunn, Director of Digital Content

‘I will look forward to my annual trip to Los Angeles to visit friends and family. I spend the year diligently plotting all the new openings I want to try on a Google Map so I am fully prepped by the time we arrive. I’m already itching to try Camelia, a French fusion restaurant which opened in Echo Park at the end of the summer. I’m also keen to see how the development of Melrose Hill has progressed since my last visit – a couple of notable galleries had moved into the area and there was a pledge to redevelop a disused retail block with new independent shops and restaurants. To get me through the long British winter, I shall be dreaming of fresh seafood at sundown from The Jolly Oyster on Ventura beach.’

Venice & Helsinki: Ellie Stathaki, Architecture & Environment Director

‘The Venice Architecture Biennale always causes a stir of excitement at the architecture desk, so my biannual visit to the Italian city in May for the vernissage is at the top of my list for 2025. I am also dreaming of a winter trip to Helsinki. I’ve always felt there’s lots to see and enjoy in the Nordic capital, and I have only scratched the surface. I have only ever been for work, so going on a long weekend in a private capacity is also on my list. The reopening of Alvar Aalto’s Finlandia Hall in January just adds to the reasons why.’

Switzerland & Budapest: Hannah Tindle, Beauty & Grooming Editor

‘I’m hoping to travel to Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland in 2025, a spa and clinic that has been running since 1931. (Previous devotees to its ‘CLP method’ include Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo). I also want to visit the Omorovicza spa in Budapest, another institution with a storied past, built on the Rác Thermal Bath, which dates back to the 16th century.’

Naoshima: Jason Hughes, Creative Director

‘In 2025, I’m heading back to Japan, more specifically to visit the islands of Naoshima and Teshima, which sit in the Seto Inland Sea and are easily accessible by ferry from Osaka. Famous for their art and architecture, I look forward to exploring both islands on a bicycle and seeing the works of artists Yayoi Kusama, James Turrell, Walter De Maria and Lee Ufan. I’m planning to stay at Benesse House, a museum and hotel concept, designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando.’

Australia, Uzbekistan and beyond: Lauren Ho, Travel Director

‘As I live my life constantly on the road, it’s important for me to plan my trips so that I make the most of each region or destination I am in. For 2025, I will be ringing in the new year in Sydney, followed by a few weeks of checking out new hotels in Australia. In late January, I will be heading to Beijing to see the newly opened Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, the group’s newest property, which unfolds within a 600-year-old hutong complex. This will be followed by a trip to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which I am particularly excited about, and then, I will make my way to Europe, where I plan to explore Greece’s new hotel openings, and will head from Lisbon to the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. While luxury hotels are my passion, at least once a year I like to visit a random destination I have never been to and that most people might not have access to. Finally, by June, I hope to make my annual pilgrimage to Africa to get my safari fix.’

Malaysia: Melina Keays, Entertaining Director

‘In February, I am travelling to The Datai beach resort in Langkawi - one of my favourite destinations in the world. Langkawi is the largest of a cluster of islands off the coast of northwestern Malaysia, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Malacca. I’ve been visiting this wonderful place for decades, and it never loses its allure. Langkawi is a proper tropical paradise; awarded Geopark status by UNESCO, it offers lush rainforests, stunning mountain ranges and white sand beaches.

There are fantastic things to see and do all over the island, which is rich in history and culture, but I could easily spend all my time at The Datai resort itself. It was designed by visionary architect Kerry Hill, who was determined to honour its environment, and set high over Datai Bay. The hotel is melded into its jungle setting, and its beautiful rooms and spaces float amidst the rainforest canopy, with breathtaking views of the Andaman Sea. The food at the Datai is superb, and I am particularly looking forward to the delicious Malaysian cuisine at The Gulai House, which is to be found at the end of a candle-lit jungle trail.’

Geneva: Tianna Williams, Editorial Executive

‘For the first week of spring, I will be heading to Geneva, Switzerland, to reunite with my cousin and sister. The location of this annual reunion varies from year to year, from the rolling hills of Shropshire, the coastline of the Gower Peninsula to London’s Hyde Park. I am excited to trade the London smog for crisp Mont Blanc mountain air, warm up with soothing mugs of hot chocolate, and, if feeling brave, take a plunge in Lake Geneva.’

Madrid, Rome, Paris: Sofia de la Cruz, Travel Editor

‘I tend to be quite spontaneous with the locations I travel to, often booking trips or accepting invitations at the last minute. That said, I will begin the new year in Madrid, and a few weeks later, I have a trip planned to Rome to explore the upcoming Hotel Romeo Roma, one of Zaha Hadid’s final projects before she died in 2016. I also have a weekend in Paris scheduled, which is something I make a point to do every year. As for the rest of the year, I hope to fulfil my lifelong dream of visiting Japan.’

Shanghai: Smilian Cibic, Editorial Assistant

‘I’m travelling to Shanghai to visit my dad, who has been working there for the past five years. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s been up to. He’s designed his own micro home apartment, which has had quite a stir in the Chinese press. We will then travel together to Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of China and then Shenzhen, the tech capital of the world.’

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A new chapel in the Czech Republic’s South Moravia region creates a striking new focal point for the community. Its design grace and elegance are paired with modern wood architecture, robust construction and a high degree of community involvement.

Explore the new Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel

Designed by Jan Říčný and Michal Říčný of Studio RCNKSK, Our Lady of Sorrows in Nesvačilka is a religious structure that rises up above the softly rolling landscape on the edge of the village, surrounding by new planting that has yet to bed in. The community’s had apparently yearned for a worship space of its own for well over a century, but it took the determined effort of Father René Strouhal and his parishioners to bring the building to life.

As Jan Říčný notes, the priest’s vision was to ‘create a building that would not only shape the surrounding landscape but would also influence the culture, society, and heritage of this place. Little did I know at the time that this decision would set us on a twelve-year journey,’ he adds.

For the architect, the surrounding landscape posed something a challenge. With no geographic features other than ‘soil and fields’, Říčný decided to use stone and wood to craft the cylindrical form of the chapel. ‘Natural materials are rare in this region,’ he explains, ‘and they hold symbolic significance: to bring faith into a parched landscape.’ Furthermore, the hilltop site accentuates the image of the chapel as a beacon, ‘a point of orientation both in space and in spirit.’

The layers of construction also reflect the church’s patroness, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows. ‘Upon the dust and soil of this place, which form the floor, we build a temple,’ says Říčný . The lower section is formed from a ring of gneiss stones determined to represent humanity and the community itself (‘stubborn, disobedient, and difficult to mould,’ says Říčný).

The upper part of the walls are formed from wood, a thousand different pieces joined together with traditional peg and wedge fixings yet crafted using CNC milling processes. The wood forms a circular armour that envelopes the interior of the chapel, yet also shines out a welcoming light in the evening.

Inside, fixed and supported by the stone base, are seven 15m long hand-carved wooden beams, reaching diagonally through the interior space to support the roof with its steel spire. Symbolising the Seven Sorrows of Mary, they form a literal connection between the earth and the heavens, with a ripple of diagonally placed windows that run around the perimeter bringing sunlight into the interior at all times of the day.

The new planting includes an apple orchard, both as an avenue that leads up the hill and as an orchard that connects the chapel to the working landscape around it. The stations of the cross are also set into the landscape in a ring around the edge of the chapel.

‘The perspective of the beams and surrounding structure draws you upward,’ says the architect, ‘The chapel transcends time. What you experience is its expression, the play of light, acoustics, and scent. The materials are natural, tactile, and imbued with craftsmanship, aiming to lift you beyond the everyday.’

The length of the project was largely down to the fundraising process, as the entire building was paid for by donations. For Říčný, the process gave him time to refine the design. ‘I could carefully consider the technical and symbolic aspects, ensuring meticulous execution,’ he says, helping bring this beautifully built structure to life for the community that wanted it for so long.

RCNKSK.com

BYRÓ Architekti’s Garden Pavilion is set within a sprawling collection of private gardens close to the centre of Prague and replaces a run-down cottage structure that was originally on the site. The clients, who live in an apartment just a ten-minute walk away, wanted a new pavilion that would make the most of their plot throughout the year.

Garden Pavilion: a private, minimalist haven

With this contemporary cabin, architects Jan Holub and Tomáš Hanus have crammed a remarkable amount of functionality into just 20 sq m, thanks to the double-height structure that allows for an upper-level mezzanine for occasional summer sleepovers. Bookshelves double up as plant storage during the winter.

‘When the clients are in their garden, they try to spend as much time outdoors as possible,’ say Holub and Hanus. ‘They came to us with a specific and perhaps slightly paradoxical task. They wanted a new structure on the site of the original dilapidated cottage, but at the same time, they didn't want to close off the garden.’

The new pavilion is defined by its large, folding front panel, a mix of door, wall and window that allows the entire frontage to open up and form a shaded canopy. ‘This way, the interior seamlessly transitions to the outdoors, with the garden penetrating the building,’ the architects say. ‘This creates a kind of paraphrase of a garden loggia, which was our fundamental architectural inspiration.’

Made from timber and polycarbonate, and carefully designed with cables, pulleys and counterweights for easy operation, the wall can be opened by just one person. The rest of the façade is formed from blackened, charred timber, which stands in contrast to the light plaster and wood-lined interior. 

The project was designed to sit on the foundations of the original cottage, and several other plots have surviving structures and shelters. The new pavilion adds to the idiosyncratic design language of this communal outdoor space, a garden colony close to the banks of the Vltava River.

‘We tried to incorporate the character of the surroundings into the new building, with its shou-sugi-ban wooden façade and naturally irregular structure,’ Holub and Hanus say. ‘With the shutters closed, it corresponds to the quiet objects in the vicinity.’

Inside, the library, ladder and mezzanine floor are all made from timber. Windows are set in three of the four façades to create a changing pattern of lighting through the day, and the large areas of translucent polycarbonate keep it bright even when the pavilion is shut up to the elements. Off grid, without any services or utilities, the one concession to contemporary technology is the rooftop photovoltaic panel, that provides basic lighting to the interior once the sun goes down. 

byro.cz

Mill and grain silo conversion projects are a strong symbol of the replacement of urban industry with culture as a driving economic force. From the Baltic in Gateshead, through to the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town and the recently opened Kunstsilo in Kristiansand, Norway, the epic scale of 20th-century industrial architecture lends itself to the aggrandising ethos of so much modern art. 

Automatic Mills: a grain silo conversion 

However, it’s often the buildings themselves that speak loudest. This is the impressively overhauled Automatic Mills in Pardubice in the Czech Republic. Designed by architect Josef Gočár and opened in 1909 for the Winternitz brothers. It operated until 2013, when it became surplus to requirements. The sheer quality and detail of Gočár’s design ensured the building would be saved.

The site, on banks of the Chrudimka River, is an expansive one, offering almost unlimited space and opportunity for the city. Martin Prokš and Marek Přikryl of Prokš Přikryl architekti were tasked with overseeing the building’s transformation into the centrepiece of a new culture-focused urban district.

Gočár’s original structure was true industrial architecture, with the towering Silo combining meticulous brickwork and detailing that’s part palazzo, part Renaissance and all modernist. 

Working closely with Lukáš Smetana and Mariana Smetanová of the Automatic Mills Foundation, the organisation set up to oversee the works and protect the key qualities of the site, Prokš and Přikryl have opted for a combination of bold material and structural interventions that leave the vast majority of the architecture untouched.

Automatic Mills was transformed into a new social hub, with a new purpose-built hall capable of hosting everything from theatrical shows to lectures and social events, while a roof terrace offers up a new view of the city. The monolithic concrete grain bins, with their richly textured walls, have been part opened up to form a series of exhibition spaces. Finally, the ground floor has been peeled away to create a new covered public square.

Gočár’s magnificent outer shell once concealed the machinery and structure of the milling industry with a structure that exuded civic pride in industry and labour. ‘The mills were from the outset never perceived as purely an industrial building,’ the architects write, ‘Instead, they create the mystery of a machine hidden in a fortress. Even the grain silo, added to the mill in 1924, is itself not clearly graspable.’

This peeling back of original function to reveal the inner forms and workings off lost industry is a characteristic shared by many of our modern culture mills. Using glass-concrete floor panels and metal mesh staircases preserves the industrial, otherworldly quality of these vertical spaces, celebrating their forms and physicality for the first time since their construction.

Other buildings on the site include the Gočár Gallery and Gampa Gallery, and an educational centre. Care has been taken to retain as much original patina as possible, especially in areas that have changed and evolved over time.

ProksPrikryl.cz

The Czech family house sits on a site close to the banks of the Vltava River in the village of Dvorce, just outside Prague. Aoc Architekti’s Green House replaces a family villa located on the plot, which has been in the client’s family for several generations, offering views across the river to the baroque Church of St Philip and Jacob in nearby Zlíchov. It’s an area of spaciously arranged villas with gardens that sprawl down the hillside to the river valley.

A Czech family house thrives through colour and light

The original structure was built in the 1960s and needed to be completely rebuilt. Aoc, founded in 2017 by Ondřej Císler and Filip Rašek, was tasked with transforming the plot with a new house that not only improved its environmental performance and better integrated it into the steep surrounding gardens, but made the most of the views from the site.

‘We work carefully with different forms of light – intense skylight, or soft light diffused behind the semi-transparent façade or contrasted against twilight,’ the architects says. ‘This approach affects the sophisticated composition of the façade openings.’ New windows, in particular, a large west-facing opening to the main living space on the second floor, transform the interior and its relationship to the surroundings.

The upper floor contains the main lounge and study area alongside the principal bedroom and blue tiled bathroom. It is effectively a self-contained space, thanks to a concealed mini kitchen. Elevated ceilings and exposed wooden beams unify the space. On the first floor, a living room, dining and kitchen form an L-shape around a utility core, with a green tiled bathroom and storage. A large deck leads off the dining space, intersecting with the sloping garden at its southernmost point.

All floors are united with a stair tower clad in translucent panels for the uppermost run, and lined with oak below, complete with a crafted handrail. 

The concrete stair core is left exposed, with a sculptural light fitting giving off an uncanny glow from within after dark. 

The ground floor houses a self-contained studio apartment, with a separate terrace and its own entrance.

Throughout the house, custom-made furniture has been installed, including solid wood tables on steel frames, with accommodation made for the client’s key pieces.

Externally, the window placement offers up a series of abstract, atonal façades, with the green render and minimal detailing evoking interwar Czech modernism. 

The green façade not only gives the house its name, but better integrates it with the surrounding, naturally planted gardens, which also include a small vineyard.

Inside and out, the architects note that they have used ‘noble materials in their natural state, applying their colours and textures, while ensuring practicality and maximum comfort in an elegantly refined living environment’.

Aoc.archi

Forget the traditional spa experiences you've come across until now, experiential wellness is paving the way – post-sauna cold showers are being replaced with innovative treatments like cold cryotherapy, while Japanese onsens with breathtaking views are preferred over small wooden saunas. Not to forget that the light, sound, temperature, humidity, textures, materials and smells of a retreat are equally as important as a breathtaking location. From mood therapy using state-of-the-art bio-hacking technology to treatments inspired by the world's longest-lived locations, along with architectural masterpieces built in impossible locations, keep reading to discover the best spa experiences right now to revitalise mind and body.

Best spa experiences, from Ise-Shima to Chicago

Onsen Spa at The Amanemu Resort, Ise-Shima, Japan

The Amanemu Resort stands proudly amidst the serene hills of Ise-Shima, near Ago Bay, and rethinks the traditional Japanese ryokan inn experience. At this secluded sanctuary, guests can indulge in rejuvenating sessions at the resort's 2,000 sq m spa, which spotlights the therapeutic power of water. The wellness centre is rooted in Japan's ancient onsen bathing tradition and blends Japanese healing practices with nature-inspired therapies from across the globe.

The centrepiece is an ample hot-spring bath that utilises mineral-rich waters from Ise-Shima. The resort also offers bespoke immersions that integrate private movement and specialist therapy sessions, spa treatments, nutritional support, and other experiences that aid guests in reconnecting body and mind. It's worth noting that the resort also has its very own signature facial, which is performed using Aman's skincare line. This includes ultrasonic scrubbing, electric muscle stimulation, cryo bulbs and a hydrating marine mineral mask, plus face and eye masks from Aman's collaboration with 111Skin.

aman.com

The Longevity Spa at Portrait Milano, Milan, Italy

Portrait Milano has become the world’s first hotel to host The Longevity Suite’s spa, a leading biohacking and anti-age brand in Europe. The spot becomes a hub of urban wellness rooted in the longevity method – cold exposure, detoxification, and aesthetic awareness are at the core of the offered treatments, complemented by the wet area featuring a pool, steam room, sauna, gym, and treatment rooms.

Inspired by the ‘Blue Zones’, the five longest-lived locations on Earth, the Longevity Spa offers guests rapid recovery from daily stress. Here, cutting-edge biohacking practices and insights from longevity-focused lifestyles converge to redefine ageing. To alleviate any residual grogginess from your journey, begin with the suite's 'Jet Lag Blessing Ritual' on arrival. Here, cold therapy, sensory deprivation, LED therapy, binaural sounds, and inhalation aromatherapy combine with acupressure to stimulate melatonin production and restore circadian rhythms.

lungarnocollection.com

Euphoria Retreat, Mystras, Greece

The Euphoria Retreat, situated near the Unesco World Heritage Site of Mystras, calls itself the first destination spa in Greece. Spanning a total area of 3,000 sq m, the four-level spa was carved into the ground and built alongside a cypress forest. The spa seeks to be an orderly and free-flowing space, achieved through light, sound, temperature, humidity, textures, materials and smells adjusted to create immersive sensory experiences. At the bottom, carved spaces with elliptical geometries of varying scales intertwine. Meanwhile, higher up, space is structured like the gears of a mechanical clock, with the largest of the four levels containing all the wet and warm treatment areas.

As the spiral staircase approaches the top, it leads to small private treatment rooms modelled after monastic chambers, offering well-framed views of the Sparta Valley. From nutritional guidance and consultations to massage, acupuncture and more, there’s a comprehensive menu of spa experiences. This includes Biologique Recherche facials using the brand's Remodelling Face Machine, an algae detox treatment for the entire body, and Watsu therapy in a specialist warm water pool.

euphoriaretreat.com

Mood Spa at La Zambra Hotel, Mijas, Spain

Nestled amid the scenic hills of Andalusia, the once-renowned Byblos hotel has adopted the new identity of ‘La Zambra’ following a redesign by the architectural studio Esteva i Esteva. Under the management of Marugal, the chic retreat invites travellers to relax and discover the hidden treasures between Málaga and Marbella. Central to La Zambra is the Mood Spa, a wellness sanctuary that crafts experiences tailored to the guest’s physical, psychological, and emotional equilibrium. With offerings like ‘Relax’, ‘Healing’, ‘Reconnect’, ‘Vitalize’, and ‘Glow’, the spa embraces a highly individualized approach.

Notably, the Osteo Skin Swaywaver table, a first in Andalusia, adds another layer of exclusivity to this revitalising haven. The spa works with products from luxury skincare brands such as Natura Bissé, EviDenS de Beauté, and Anne Semonin. (Try out the last's 'Heavenly Energising Body & Face Ritual', which brings together a potent mix of cryotherapy, massage, and aromatherapy.)

lazambrahotel.com

Spa of the Five Graces at The Inn of the Five Graces, Santa Fe, USA

The Inn of The Five Graces, the well-known Relais and Chateaux luxury boutique hotel and spa, has recently introduced The Spa of The Five Graces. The space opens after a five-year effort to renovate and redesign historic structures in Santa Fe, and it guarantees an opulent sanctuary in which to relax. The philosophies and rituals of ancient trade route the Silk Road have inspired the spa, which goes beyond conventional boundaries to offer personalised and transformative experiences that nourish the five senses.

Expert therapists craft custom spa experiences for guests. Massage therapies incorporate CBD oils and Himalayan salt stones, and rejuvenating skincare includes the 'High Mountain Hydration' facial (which uses a double peel, a lifting mask and massage inspired by Kobido techniques), and The Method, Augustinus Bader's signature sensorial treatment.

fivegraces.com

SpaceTime Floatation Center, Chicago, USA

Eric Rothfeder Architecture’s redesign of Chicago’s Spacetime Floatation Center, the oldest in the United States, choreographs the perfect transition for visitors who want to move away from the buzz of everyday life and enter a state of relaxation. The facility offers unique ambiences to cater to different needs, while consistently using materials and geometric shapes that create an easy flow between treatments.

The reception area, characterised by curved and textured plaster with lime-washed walls, sets the tone for the overall experience, throughout which natural light is gradually mixed with architectural lighting elements. Separated by layers of sheer curtains, the space features a pool of Epsom salt water, infrared saunas, and a halotherapy room. Treatments include the use of The Migun Bed, a device founded in 1988 by the South Korean company Migun Medical Instruments. It aids injury recovery and pain relief for the whole body, through infrared-heated jade therapy heads that move down each side of the spine and down the back of each leg.

erarch.com

Cellularium Spa, Prague, Czech Republic

Cellularium, situated inside Prague’s Institute of Natural Medicine, is a next-generation spa with a unique design that sets it apart from others globally. Designed by Czech studio Formafatal, the entrance’s reception and circular cell, which doubles as a doctor’s office and waiting room, feature soft walls with creative claddings reminiscent of the building designed by DAM architects.

The spa area, spanning 155 sq m, features dark tones and smooth screed surfaces enhanced by an interplay of light and shadow. The purpose of each room is guided by the colour of the walls; red represents the sauna’s fire, blue is for the cryosauna’s ice, and grey for the airflow’s wind. The heat sauna at Cellularium is Finnish, so moisture and steam are kept at low levels, with a temperature of around 80-100ºC. This helps with detoxification, cellular renewal, and relaxation of body and mind.

The HVN, London, UK

New London spa The HVN, nestled in the heart of Knightsbridge, arrives as a bolthole for guests seeking the support of skilled therapists, specialists, and medical practitioners. ‘Conscious wellbeing’ lies at the core of all offered treatments, along with personalised healing, comfort, and care. Through natural light, organic shapes, and soothing elements of nature, The HVN encourages relaxation – such as via its urban adaptation of Forest Bathing, which includes circadian lighting, woodland aromatics, and natural sounds.

Under one roof, the retreat provides a range of services, including state-of-the-art Fotona 4D laser technology, a medical-grade hyperbaric chamber, time-honoured Ayurvedic healing, and modern insights into gut health. Following an initial consultation with a medical professional, each client receives a custom programme tailored by nutritionists, aestheticians, osteopaths, and acupuncturists. Scalp and hair treatments include laser hair restoration and scalp PRP therapy, and IV infusions (such as NAD+) are also offered.

the-hvn.com

The Spa at The Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech, Morocco

The Mandarin Oriental Marrakech is a true Moroccan oasis with an award-winning spa designed by the French duo Gilles and Boissier. The sun-drenched entrance opens onto a pool and fountain, creating a calming and refreshing atmosphere. Inside, guests can enjoy a heated indoor pool covering an area of 70 sq m, which offers a breathtaking view of the gardens.

The Spa houses six treatment rooms, including a couple's and a single spa suite, each equipped with a vitality bath, as well as a Thai treatment room that has its own private garden. Two luxurious Moroccan hammams specialise in the traditional black soap scrub, while a hairdresser, a beauty salon, a yoga studio, and a fitness centre complete the offer. Signature treatments range from collaborations with Dr Barbara Sturm (she of the vampire facial) to a Digital Wellness Escape, a restorative spa experience designed to relieve bodily stresses from the daily use of digital devices.

mandarinoriental.com

Plato Contemporary Art Gallery is the newest chapter in the redevelopment story of Ostrava, which is slowly being transformed into an extensive cultural hub. Situated in the north-eastern part of the Czech Republic, Ostrava is the country’s third largest metropolis, founded in the Middle Ages, but only flourished in the 19th century thanks to its then-booming coal-mining and metallurgy sectors. Nowadays, the city has embraced an era of post-industrial transformation, launching an extensive cultural programme. This includes museum complex on its Dolní Vítkovice old industrial grounds, and a concert hall by Steven Holl Architects, currently being built, while Plato is the latest addition to be completed. 

Plato Contemporary Art Gallery: a history

The new exhibition venue is located in a 19th-century former slaughterhouse. The building served its original function until the 1960s and was subsequently used as a warehouse and garage. Over the decades, the historical complex has undergone substantial architectural changes (for example, with large openings being carved out in its outer walls) and has even partially collapsed. In the 1990s, the industrial ruin was finally added to the country's protected monuments list. In 2017, the local authorities launched an international design competition for the modernisation of the complex, and Polish office KWK Promes was entrusted with the task.  

Designing an icon reborn

KWK Promes founder Robert Konieczny and his team decided to expose rather than hide traces of the complex’s turbulent past. The architects preserved and stabilised the remaining soot-darkened brick walls and complemented the collapsed southern wing with a new concrete volume. Consistently, six large openings in the old structure were filled in with light-grey cement panels. These are adorned with an abstract interpretation of historical detailing and can be used as rotating gates. Two of them serve as entrances to the building’s lobby, one as a shortcut to its café, and three as possible extension portals of the exhibition area. 

The interior design follows a restrained palette in both colour (mainly shades of white and grey) and materials (comprised almost exclusively of cement, concrete and brick). Nothing feels superfluous in the space and nothing serves as an ornament. Apart from the exhibition halls, the former slaughterhouse also hosts educational spaces, guest rooms, administration offices, as well as a small hydroponic farm. Ongoing plans in the area mean the complex will soon be complemented by a small, green, sustainable park that will replace an existing large, open plaza on site.

A new landmark for Ostrava

The Plato gallery by KWK Promes constitutes a bold statement about the conservation and adaptation of industrial heritage. The complex successfully reconciles past and present, inside and outside, art and architecture. The reclaimed building has the potential to become a new landmark for Ostrava, catering to locals and tourists alike. 

Most importantly, though, with its partially movable walls, it will offer a flexible, playful space of unprecedented creative opportunities for artists and curators, enabling unusual interactions with the public and symbolically underlining the message that culture should be open and accessible to all. 

kwkpromes.pl 

plato-ostrava.cz 

Car brands never actually die; they just linger in obscure ownership for decades until the time is deemed right for resurrection. Such is the case with Praga, a Czech company that can trace its origins back to the days of heavy industry in the late 19th century. As the new century dawned, it joined the crowded ranks of early automobile manufacturers.

Praga was fit enough to survive, eventually becoming a big name in Czech transportation, building lorries, motorbikes, and even race cars. In the Communist era, Praga was handed the task of building the country’s trucks, while others (notably Skoda) got the contract for building passenger cars. It wasn’t until the Communist party was ousted in 1989 that Praga became a private company once more.

Since then, Praga has been active in the fringes of motorsports, building motocross bikes and racing trucks for endurance racing, as well as opening an aviation division. It has also been involved in creating specialist racing cars such as the Praga R4S and R1.

Praga Bohema: at once avian and alien

Nevertheless, not a lot of people outside the industry know the Praga name, which is why this new ‘road legal track-focused’ hypercar, the Bohema, comes as such a surprise. The company plans to build an edition of 89 units of the two-seater, which has been tested by F1 and IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean.

The Bohema hits all sorts of high-value metrics, as befits a machine pitched at the wealthiest track-day enthusiasts. The list price is around £1.1m, the engine is a tried and tested 6-cylinder unit developed from the Nissan GT-R, said to develop 700hp, and the top speed is around 300 km/h. There’s no shortage of visual drama either, with curved and crimped bodywork (developed in-house) that somehow looks both avian and alien at the same time.

The company has parlayed its racing knowledge into saving weight, with a dry target of 982kg, thanks to chassis, bodywork and components made from carbon fibre, magnesium alloys and titanium. A wrapround canopy-style windscreen offers a straight-ahead view akin to that of a racing driver, with pronounced aero ducts behind the front wheels. 

At the rear, storage is built into the rear wheel arches, including space for the all-important crash helmet, and the doors swing up and out in time-honoured supercar fashion, giving access to one of the extreme, race-style recumbent driving positions we’ve ever seen.

Praga hopes to build around 20 cars each year, giving new owners a hands-on track handover so they can learn how to get the most out of their car. Whether anyone will actually fulfil the Praga dream of driving calmly to a track to put down a few furious laps before heading home is hardly the point; this kind of machine exists as a statement of intent and potential.

Praga Cars, PragaGlobal.com

Four mountain viewpoint structures, high above the town of Rokytnice in the Czech Republic, provide spectacular platforms from which to take in the densely forested slopes and valley below. The sentinels stand watch on the Stráž mountain, or Strážník, once a regional look-out for those tasked with detecting approaching enemy forces.

A family of four mountain viewpoint structures

The four new guard towers have a thankfully peaceful brief. Designed by Jan Mach and Jan Vondrák’s studio Mjölk (also see the studio’s glass cabin project), with input from Pavlína Müllerová, the structures have been shaped to symbolise four forms from Rokytnice’s coat of arms, each in turn representing the four villages that came together to originally form the town: the Fox, the Bear, the Sheep, and the Miner.

The project’s origins date back to 2014 when the studio built some stopping points along the mountain trails. Originally, the municipality wanted a ‘classic lookout tower’, but this was eventually adapted into four steel structures strung along a trail following the mountain ridge. Each steel form is made up of a kit of parts that could be transported up the mountain and assembled without the use of heavy machinery.

Deep steel anchors, drilled 8m into the rock, keep the four lookout points in place. They share the same architectural details, from the oak cladding panels to the black-painted steel handrails and stainless-steel mesh guardrails.

Each structure visually evokes its namesake. The Miner is perhaps the most dramatic, a towering presence that’s reached by traversing a footbridge. Unsurprisingly, the name references the region’s mining past, as well as being the symbol of the village of Rokytno. Overlooking the Jizera valley, The Miner is like a figure standing alone above the landscape.

The Fox is cantilevered out across a ridge, sat atop a rocky outcrop with a spectacular view to the town below. The symbol of the village of Františkov, the structure represents the animal’s long ‘body’, with a big tail that sticks out into the valley.

The Sheep is set deep in the woods, as if it has ‘wandered onto the Stráž from the meadows of Horní Rokytnice’, You’ll encounter this structure on the route to The Miner. Raised up on four legs and accessed from a central ladder, the platform takes you up into the trees.

The Bear is more robust, tucked away in the woods above a rocky outcrop, and representing the village of Dolní Rokytnice. A hefty structure with solid, ursine legs, it makes an excellent spot from which to observe the local wildlife.

mjolk.cz

The Glass Cabin – a radical internal reconfiguration of a 130-year-old cottage – confounds expectations. Czech architecture practice Mjölk, founded by Jan Mach and Jan Vondrák, has combined existing materials and techniques with radical new interventions.

The cabin project is located outside the small town of Polubný, in the heart of the Jizera Mountains east of Liberec, close to the Polish border. The architects replaced an existing annex with a ‘glass mass’, set above a heavy poured concrete foundation. This space becomes a kitchen and family room, with a rich mix of reflective bronze and brass juxtaposed with poured concrete floors and banquettes, leather upholstery, timber joinery, and the rough-hewn walls of the original cottage.

The Glass Cabin renders the traditional contemporary

The kitchen is spread across two levels, with a dining area set in the wood-clad heart of the original structure, alongside a smooth, ceramic-encased stove by Dutch company Dtile that forms the warm heart of the house. Such nods to traditional vernacular architecture are rendered in an unashamedly modern fashion, with original beams and boards left exposed and celebrated. ‘The contrast and harmony between the classical room and the new extension are what our architectural game was all about.’

The cottage was completely restored, with new structure where necessary, alongside a new shingle roof and Nordic larch cladding. The new extension has vast frameless windows that bring the surrounding wooden landscape into the space. The kitchen and furniture are by Czech company Sollus, while the architects designed many of the individual light fittings, all of which were then made of brass by the Dekorax metal-printing workshop.

The juxtaposition works wonders, especially as the innocuous façade looks much like the other cabins that scatter this landscape. The structure has seen a substantial amount of social and political upheaval in its lifetime, and part of Mjölk’s process was to celebrate the enduring connectivity it has with nature, despite the pace of change. ‘It was essential that we didn't strip the cabin of its intangible soul, the fragrance of the timber and the stark chill of the granite blocks. We kept what we could.’

The Glass Cabin certainly revels in its juxtapositions. Upstairs, past a circular, globe-like skylight that illuminates the landing, are four bedrooms, tucked into the steeply sloping eaves of the original roof with panelled walls painted rich red. These are atmospheric, moody spaces, with a rich wood scent and an ambience that has been essentially unchanged since the cabin was originally built. The works also included the construction of a low-key sauna building alongside the cottage.

‘We didn't want to forcefully place pieces of global design into the house,’ the architects say. ‘Most of the new equipment consists of original furniture and accessories that we designed ourselves. They reflect the quality of the handmade work of the craftsmen from the Jizera Mountains who still live and work here. The new pieces are complemented with old furniture lovingly selected by the clients themselves.’

Mach and Vondrák set up their studio in 2008, following their studies at the Faculty of Art and Architecture in Liberec. The firm’s name, Mjölk, means ‘milk’ in Swedish – ‘the most beautiful word in the Swedish dictionary, according to the duo. The practice has a very hands-on approach, with an emphasis on a strong expression of materiality. 

‘Pictures are worthless,’ they say. ‘We need to create buildings we have dreamt up with clients. That is why every project we touch matters to us.’ In the Glass Cabin, old and new are blended together, creating a series of spaces that gives the clients a chance to time travel in just a few steps.

Mjölk Architekti, mjolk.cz

Partners Marek Obtulovič, Nguyễn đức Rung, and Mai Lan Chi launched ODDO Architects in 2016; fast forward six years, and their studio has made it into the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2022, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe. Here we explore one of its projects, a naturally ventilated, urban Vietnamese house.

Who: Oddo Architects

Based between Vietnam and the Czech Republic, ODDO Architects is led by partners Marek Obtulovič, Nguyễn đức Rung, and Mai Lan Chi. ODDO’s broad portfolio contains designs for restaurants, landscaping, resorts, studios and homes. Highlights include playful cylindrical wooden light structures and a catwalk-inspired birdhouse, demonstrating a fun and explorative tone in the studio’s approach.

Aside from its adventurous designs, ODDO is keen on making the most of sustainably sourced materials, having used repurposed timber and fast-growing locally sourced wood in its projects. The studio’s residential work in Vietnam, including TH House (pictured), showcases ‘hit and miss’ brickwork, a style of masonry that allows gaps between blocks, encouraging the breeze to travel through. Subtle glass doors ensure foliage is visually present within buildings, creating playful areas between inside and out. Similarly mindful of their context and surrounding conditions, houses built by Oddo in the Czech Republic tend to follow the country’s vernacular, while still making ample use of the open natural spaces that wrap around the houses.

What: TH House

Designed as a family home with communal living in mind, TH house in Hanoi features almost no internal walls. Its five floors are linked by a disjointed staircase that runs through the rooms at the front and back of the building. Each room has sliding doors for privacy, but these are all designed to remain open as much as possible in order to maintain airflow and light throughout the home. Voids in the sides of each level allow light to come in from above, while trees planted on the floor below can grow upwards and have a presence on more than one level. 

In the landscape of heat and compact living that is Hanoi, the studio needed to maximise the space it were given for this project, as well as ensure that passive cooling systems are in place for a comfortable living experience. Foldaway tables and bespoke desks fitted into nooks maximise the internal space. Shadows cast by the foliage, lattice structures in the walls and metal mesh flooring gently dampen the sunlight’s presence in the house. Plants also serve to balance the textures of the white, stone and grainy wood surfaces, with everything coming together to create a moment of calm in this built-up and buzzing city.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2022

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 22nd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Paraguay, Thailand, the UAE, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

INFORMATION

oddoarchitects.com

Kunsthalle Praha, a major new not-for-profit arts and culture organisation has opened its doors to the public in the Czech capital. 

The building housing the new institution began as the Zenger Electrical Substation in the 1930s, generating electricity for the city’s tram and trolleybus network. The station became defunct as technology evolved, but was acquired by the Pudil Family Foundation in 2015 with the intention of giving the building a new life as Kunsthalle Praha. The institution focuses on 20th-century and contemporary Czech and international art and will function as an ‘open meeting point’ where art lives but also engages a wide audience.

Czech architecture studio Schindler Seko was tasked with reimagining the building as an art destination, which now comprises three large galleries, a bistro, a café and an extensive retail space. But it wasn’t without challenges.

Structural issues and contamination rendered the building’s original skeleton unfit for purpose; it was gutted and replaced with a monolithic concrete structure with the monument-protected facade kept intact. ‘It’s hard to create a good contemporary art space in a building that’s not purpose-built,’ says Ivana Goossen, director of Kunsthalle Praha. ‘[But] it gave us an opportunity to create a space that was really made for art.’

While the collection is important to the identity of the institution, it won’t form the primary focus. ‘From the beginning, we never wanted this place to be a temple for the collection,’ Goossen explains. ‘[The collection] allows us to exchange; when we request something on loan, we’re able to give something on loan. So it is a very important part of what we do, but we never intended to have a permanent show of the collection. We wanted to live the “kunsthalle” concept.’

This has created a model built on cooperation and a diverse mix of thematic and solo exhibitions, for which Kunsthalle Praha often partners with external curators and artists to develop a vision for each show. ‘Depending on the exhibition, the artists, and the opportunity, we will support the creation of new work. It’s a larger story we want to tell. I think it’s so important for artists to have the support to venture into a new area,’ says Goossen. 

Kunsthalle Praha inaugural show: ‘Kinetismus: 100 Years of Electricity in Art’

The opening exhibition ‘Kinetismus: 100 Years of Electricity in Art’ is an ode to the original fabric of Kunsthalle Praha. On view until 20 June 2022, the show surveys how electricity has transformed movements and artistic practices from the start of the 20th century to the contemporary era. 

Though the show is international and multi-generational, at its heart is a tribute to the work of Czech avant-garde art pioneer Zdeněk Pešánek. In 1936, the artist created a kinetic light sculpture titled 100 Years of Electricity for the facade of the Zenger substation, yet the installation mysteriously vanished before it got the chance, surviving only in the form of models. The Kunsthalle Praha team, spearheaded by guest curator Peter Weibel, chose to focus on bringing Pešánek’s ideas back to life, in dialogue with a century of electricity-driven art. 

This optically dazzling and comprehensive exhibition involves more than 90 works organised into four categories: cinematography, kinetic art, cybernetic art, and computer art. Visitors will encounter everything from the trailblazing experiments of Bauhaus-affiliated figures to cutting-edge immersive technology by teamLab. The show will include the work of pioneers such as Mary Ellen Bute, Carlos Cruz-Diez, László Moholy-Nagy, Martha Boto and Marcel Duchamp; established living icons such as Julio Le Parc, Cerith Wyn Evans and William Kentridge; and other leading contemporary names including Ryoji Ikeda, Refik Anadol, Shilpa Gupta, Olafur Eliasson, Xavier Veilhan, Random International, and Angela Bulloch. 

Alongside the inaugural show, Kunsthalle Praha has also unveiled a permanent commission by conceptual artist Mark Dion titled Cabinet of Electrical Curiosities, as well as a separate exhibition, ‘Electrical Substation: Electricity in Architecture, Electricity in the City’ which explores the building’s rich industrial past, and Prague’s history more broadly.

INFORMATION

’Kinetismus: 100 Years of Electricity in Art’, until 20 June 2022, Kunsthalle Praha. kunsthallepraha.org

Written by Wallpaper* contributor, Prague-based architectural historian and writer Adam Štěch, and beautifully shot by photographer Tomáš Souček, this modernist architecture map is a visual feast – as well as a useful tool – about exploring the beautiful European city of Prague. Published by Blue Crow Media, Modern Prague Map, released this month, celebrates 20th century architecture in the Czech Republic capital. 

The travel guide is a two-sided and bilingual print that includes a map of the city, as well as an introductory essay and information on fifty notable buildings – all of which are marked on the map. The rich selection of buildings spans the 20th century, including work by architects such as Vlastislav Hofman, Adolf Loos, Věra Machoninová and her husband Vladimír Machonín – and many more. 

The featured buildings offer a wide range of typologies and scales, from large scale works, such as multi-family housing to department stores, to more boutique designs, such as homes or urban furniture. Highlights include Emil Králíček’s Cubist lamp post, the Modernist Baba Housing Estate, Martin Rainer’s apartment building and the New Stage of the National Theatre by Prager, the artist S. Libenský and the sculptor J. Brychtová.

‘Important historical events are imprinted on the walls of Prague's architecture,' says Štěch. ‘In almost every street in Prague we can find various examples of architecture from all decades of the last century; from the phenomenon that is Czech Cubism to our unique take on Postmodernism and High-Tech architecture.’

Modern Prague Map is part of a series of architectural guides from Blue Crow Media - other publications include similar projects that focus on modernist and brutalist architecture in places such as Berlin, Chicago and London.

INFORMATION

Modern Prague Map

Brno’s Zvonarka Central Bus Terminal has been a key Brutalist architecture landmark in the city since it first opened in 1988 - and is among the country's most notable remaining examples of the genre. But years of intense use and high maintenance costs had resulted in a tired, decaying building in dire need of a refresh. Now, the Brutalist bus terminal has been given a new lease of life courtesy of architects CHYBIK + KRISTOF, who in 2011 embarked on a self-initiated journey to restore the famous building to its former glory. 

The design team worked with the station's private owners and raised awareness through social media to instigate a discussion about the station's future, securing the necessary funding for the redesign works in 2015. ‘Demolitions are a global issue,' explains co-founding architect Michal Kristof. ‘Our role as architects is to engage in these conversations and demonstrate that we no longer operate from a blank page. We need to consider and also work from existing architecture – and gradually shift the conversation from creation to transformation.'

Preserving the architectural heritage of the original structure (designed by Radúz Russ in the mid-1980s) was key, but the architects also needed to bring the building to the 21st century, to better align it with current needs and requirements. Maintaining its progressive, modernist feel was also among the goals. At the same time, the station's social role was important to the team too. ‘Underlining the social awareness that consistently informs their projects, CHYBIK + KRISTOF affirm architects’ responsibility in acting as agents for positive social change,' says the architecture studio. 

The architects worked with the brutalist bus terminal's original exposed concrete structure and brutalist nature. Transparency was central to the redesign, exposing the existing structure and celebrating the materials and construction, removing walls and bringing in light. The intense geometries of the concrete build and the impressive, exposed ceiling mesh draw the eye and make for a particular dynamic and visually arresting social and transport hub; a vibrant, functioning landmark for the city of Brno for the 20th and 21st centuries and beyond.

INFORMATION

chybik-kristof.com

INFORMATION

chybik-kristof.com

Architecture practice Chybik + Kristof has designed a new building for the Lahofer Winery in the Czech Republic’s historic Moravian wine producing region. Immersed in the landscape, the new design includes a visitor centre, tasting room, offices and production facilities, all interconnected beneath an undulating roof.

Established in 2003 and set over 430 hectares, the winery is one of the largest wine producers in the Czech Republic. Its name derives from the Dobšice artist and woodcarver Jan Lahofer and the business prides itself in combining the local wine traditions with contemporary wine-making processes.

Architects Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof, who founded their practice in 2010 and now have offices in Prague, Brno and Bratislava, are often informed by the context and landscape of the site they work with. For the Lahofer Winery design, they responded directly to the topography of the landscape and the local heritage for the design.

Echoing the traditional wine cellars of the region, the building features a sequence of vaulted beams. While the shapes and general framework might follow historic examples, the materials used show that the design is entirely of its time. A glass facade brings plenty of light into the interior, while the rib construction of the arches is expressed in exposed concrete. The ceiling features an abstract mural painted by Czech contemporary artist Patrik Hábl – the colours are lifted from the earthy reds and blacks of the soil, and the deep browns and beiges of the terroir.

Wine production is housed in two halls of different heights. The first, lower, hall is for wine-making and employee facilities, while the temperature controlled second hall features the wine press, the cellar, and the wine store.

As well as sheltering production functions, the very contemporary addition of the undulating roof, that drapes over the arches, creates a modern vision for the winery as a local cultural hub too. The roof forms an open-air amphitheatre for cultural events, where visitors can climb up to enjoy the views of the surrounding vines or sit to enjoy a musical performance.

Chybík and Krištof explain the concept: ‘The design of the Lahofer Winery is deeply rooted in nature, and in the respect thereof. At a time when culture and nature appear to be antagonistic forces, we envision a space reflective of the longstanding symbiosis between the two in the region – one that profoundly respects the environment on which it rests. The structure unfolds into the native terrain, immerses itself into the surrounding vine rows, thereby preserving the essence and integrity of both soil and culture. Additionally, moving beyond a purely productive viewpoint, we prioritize the visitor experience, notably by allocating the roof as a public space open to local and international visitors – an experience essential to the understanding and appreciation of the wine.'

INFORMATION

chybik-kristof.com

On a narrow street in Prague’s Old Town, right across from the legendary Café Montmartre, Autentista is the latest offering from wine gurus Bogdan Trojak and Antonín Suchánek, who are driving the city’s wine scene, having already launched Veltlín, a popular bar, as well as ‘Prague Drinks Wine’, a festival now in its seventh year.

Local studio Formafatal has made the most of the building’s original 14th century vaulted ceilings, layering the grey-patinated space with cork-detailed upholstered banquettes, &Tradition chairs, black hot-rolled steel elements such as the ceiling-height wine displays, and stand out pieces like the Moooi Meshmatics chandelier and a bar emblazoned with an astronomy-themed print by graphic artist Jan Dočekal.

This all comes together to form an atmospheric space from which to enjoy the bar’s menu of natural wines from the Czech republic and beyond, alongside tasty nibbles like cheeses, patés and fermented vegetables. 

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Řetězová 10

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Fans of Prague’s Maximilian have long prized both its central location – opposite the Haštal church and within easy reach of the Old Town Square – and its quiet fusion of a decorative pile built in 1903 and a newer block in 1995 when the hotel first opened.

With the last refurbishment taking place in 2005, it was time, though, for a spruce up, and for that, Conran and Partners were tapped for the task.

The biggest changes have taken place in the ground floor with the insertion of a new café and bar, brasserie, library and courtyard. In particular, the new mood channels light pastels that shift hues from room to room, the colours overlaid with local art, handsome bespoke lights and, of course, handmade Czech glass.

The 71-rooms have all been similarly overhauled, with the best views of the Old Town to be had from the upper floors. The basement spa, meanwhile, is a soigné cocoon amped up with treatments derived from Indian and South-East Asian traditions, but we remain a little distracted by the brasserie.

Here, head chef Scott Van Wagenen pairs small-batch organic wines with an international and Czech menu, of which highlights include fish that are, unusually, first grilled and then poached, and 30-day aged local beef nuzzling up against truffle potato cream.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Haštalská 14 Prague 1

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Compared to cosmopolitan Prague and the industrial powerhouse of Brno, Zlín was just a sleepy provincial Czech town before local entrepreneur Tomáš Baťa founded his shoemaking business there in 1894. With his help, the small Moravian town played a crucial role in the former Czechoslovakia’s journey towards prosperity and innovation, which led to it becoming one of the most developed countries in the world in the 1920s and 1930s – not least thanks to the spread of modernism, a movement that dominated the architectural discourse in the country at the time, and helped inspire a series of economic and social changes.

Soon, thanks to Baťa and his Zlín-based company (spelt Bata), Czechoslovakia became one of the world’s leading footwear exporters. An admirer of Taylorism – the progressive management theory of the time, which focused on economic efficiency and worker productivity – Baťa saw huge potential in modernist architecture and embraced it for the construction of his company’s spaces. He collaborated chiefly with two architects: Vladimír Karfík, who apprenticed at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin before designing most of the Bata stores during the 1920s and 1930s; and František Lýdie Gahura, who developed standardised structural systems to design factories and employee housing for the company. Gahura would change the landscape of the city, which was admired even by Le Corbusier, who visited Zlín in 1935.

Le Corbusier arrived three years after Baťa’s sudden death. The Czech pioneer crashed in his private plane while on the way to Switzerland, throwing an entire nation into shock and mourning. While his business was taken over by his half-brother Jan Antonín, Zlín’s local authority decided to create a memorial to its hero. Gahura was commissioned to design the monument, on a prominent site overlooking the city – much like a modern Acropolis. Gahura designed the building according to modernism’s strict functionalist principles, following Baťa’s personal and business values of modesty, purity and simplicity. Inspired by the structural design Gahura developed for the Bata factories – a modular construction system based on a 6.15m x 6.15m grid of reinforced steel, infilled by bricks – the memorial is a sharp, minimalist glass box with a flat roof. It features rows of circular, load-bearing columns and a central staircase that connects its three levels. The space housed busts of Bat́a, his brother Antonín, a company co-founder who died in 1908, and their mother Anna. At the memorial’s launch on 12 July 1933, the interior was dominated by a Junkers F13 plane (the model in which Baťa crashed). The ground floor was filled with memorabilia related to Baťa and his company, while the first floor was reserved for a footwear exhibition, and the top level remained empty.

The following years were tough for the Bat́a family. Jan Antonín escaped to Brazil in 1939 as the German army moved in, while Baťa’s son Thomas moved to Canada. In 1948, communists came to power in Czechoslovakia and labelled the Bata company a capitalist enemy of the country. While Jan Antonín and Thomas continued to develop the brand abroad, the Communists nationalised the factories in Czechoslovakia. Zlín was renamed Gottwaldov (after president Klement Gottwald) and the memorial was transformed into an art gallery. Changes and additions made the monument almost unrecognisable.

The Zlín municipality started discussing restoring the structure in the 1990s. In 1995, British architecture historian Kenneth Frampton visited the city and shared his disappointment in a letter to Czech architecture historian Rostislav Švácha, saying ‘the only disillusionment was Bat́a’s memorial, which apparently did not receive good treatment’.

In 2011, the city approved the restoration project and moved the art gallery to a new space. Architect Petr Všetečka, of the Brno-based Transat studio, was tasked with the job and works finally began in 2016. ‘The memorial is an architectural gem, but the reconstruction work that took place in the 1950s ignored all of Gahura’s principles,’ he says. Všetečka worked with archival material and detailed technical research to achieve as authentic a restoration as possible. He stresses how important it was to work with Gahura’s original spirit of simplicity, while ensuring that the new structure adheres to contemporary requirements.

All later additions to the structure have been demolished. Glass sheets were reproduced to the original design, the concrete staircase had to be rebuilt, and original details, including doors, sockets and the window opening mechanisms, were repaired or replicated.

After decades of neglect, the Tomáš Baťa Memorial has now been restored to its former glory, and is due to reopen to the public in May. A replica of the original Junkers plane is being made in Canada and will take its place in the memorial to complete this sensitive and culturally important project.

As originally featured in the June 2019 issue of Wallpaper* (W*243)

INFORMATION

pamatnikbata.eu

ADDRESS

Nám TG Masaryka 2570
Zlín

When it comes to toy design, a small, land-locked country has punched above its weight for the past century. ‘Czech designers have always been well-aware of the importance of the toy, as they’re the first objects people take into their hands while developing their human senses,’ says Tereza Bruthansová, curator of a new exhibition on the subject, set to open during London Design Festival.

The earlier toy makers of Czechoslovakia drew on the country’s folklore, hand-making wooden delights for the Artel Cooperative, which was founded in Prague in 1908. This, combined with the tradition of Czech puppetry and animation, practised by the likes of Jiri Trnka, Jan Svankmajer and Aurel Klimt , has helped seal the country’s position as king of the toymakers.

Then along came plastic, and the quirky products manufactured by the company Fatra. One of its most significant designers was Libuše Niklová. Her 1970s collection of inflatable animal-shaped children’s seats has been reissued by Fatra, and added to by contemporary designers.

Many of the latest generation of designers have returned to wood, creating some pieces that are good-looking enough to double as objets d’arts. RePello’s J™ model balance bike by Jiří Marján and Pavol Mikuláš is one such example.

These and more are on show at London’s Czech Centre from 15 September 2018. ‘Mini Wonders – Czech Toys Past and Present’ is a touring exhibition. Fittingly, many of the exhibits are displayed in Kazeto’s vintage cardboard suitcases, which will be familiar to anyone who grew up in Czechoslovakia.

But it is not only Czech-based designers who have had an impact on toy design. Tom Karen arrived in the UK from the city of Brno as a WWII émigré in his teens. He went on to create two of the 1970’s best-sellers: the Marble Run and the Raleigh Chopper bicycle.

As Bruthansová says: ‘There seems to be an active inner child in the Czech identity.’

INFORMATION

’Mini Wonders – Czech Toys Past and Present’ is on view from 15 September – 14 October. For more information, visit the London Czech Centre website

ADDRESS

30 Kensington Palace Gardens
London
W8 4QY

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Inspired by circular yurts, the famous traditional homes of the nomadic communities of Central Asia, progressive Slovakian architecture studio JRKVC has created an intimate holiday retreat for a creative couple. 

Peter Jurkovič of studio JRKVC, was included in Wallpaper’s Architects’ Directory in 2017, and has a reputation for leading one of the most prolific young practices across both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. His fairly low-cost concepts are often modest in form, but always offer intriguing spatial solutions that give birth to anything from individual houses to apartment interiors; always featuring surprising details and unorthodox approaches. 

His latest creation is ‘Attila’ a small cabin by a lake, which he designed for a cosmopolitan creative couple working in Bratislava. The clients wanted to be able to swap the city rush with the romantic landscape of Vojka nad Dunajom, just 20 kilometres from the Slovakian capital. The couple had always been impressed by the lightweight and mobile nature of nomadic homes; the portable, round tents of yurts, which are traditionally covered with skins or felt and used mostly in Mongolia. These homes became the architect’s main inspiration. 

Jurkovič designed the house using a rectangular layout, but placing a circular space at its heart, referencing the yurts. The main living areas sit beneath this central dome, which features an elegant, yet tall and minimalist wooden ceiling structure that gives the space its airy character. From this main living room, doors and passages lead to the other parts of the house. Built-in shelves hide a compact kitchen on one side and a bunk-bed bed on the other. Built-in alcove seating is also incorporated. 

The exterior is covered in a standard black plastic film, used normally for insulation. This is in turn wrapped in a layer of timber lattice panels, a gesture that gives the house its strong geometric presence; making this compact holiday retreat, a particularly memorable one.

INFORMATION

For more information visit the website of JRKVC

Hidden behind a centuries old vaulted passage in the heart of Prague Old Town, Pauseteria is the newest bistro to open in the Czech capital. 

For the interiors, owners Michal Ságl and Alina Kupcová have tasked young design studio Andrea & Martina who, in their most complex project to date, have layered the space with a subtle colour scheme and a refined material palette. 

This is highlighted by a mix of parquet flooring, terrazzo tiles, brass details, and a neon ceiling light installation - by local furniture designer Vojtěch Kálecký – that hangs above the communal table that takes centre stage. 

The menu on the wall behind the bar, which was devised by graphic designer František Polák, features an array of snacks from house-made cakes to soups and of course high-quality coffee from Czech roasting plant Candycane.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

U Radnice 11/4

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In the Czech village of Čeladná, among the bucolic forests and meadows and, against a backdrop of the looming Beskydy Mountains, Mezi Plůtky is the latest venture from hotel and restaurant owner Daniela Hradilová – who is also behind a number of popular offerings in nearby Ostrava.

Set within a dreamy countryside house dating from the 19th century, the four-room property has been restored by Hradilová, who wanted to create a personal and authentic vibe. As such, original stone floors and timber-beamed ceilings set the tone for a simple, homey design of Scandinavian-style furnishings and free-standing bathtubs in natural materials and a low-key brown, grey and white colour palette.

The public spaces comprises an open plan living room and kitchen, where guests can sit around the fire or the large oak table to sip on Austrian and South Moravian wines or Czech beer while nibbling on light, healthy food using only local ingredients.

ADDRESS

Čeladná 266

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Architecture and design curator and writer Adam Štěch is passionate about 20th-century architecture. His work has always been inspired by extensive trips across Europe – and beyond – in search of hidden modernist gems (many of which have featured in the pages of Wallpaper*). Now, Štěch teamed up with graphic designers Jan Kloss and Matěj Činčera to put together a new show at the Prague Academy of Arts and Design, presenting and celebrating his finds.

Going through his large photographic archive of modernist architecture, which he developed organically through ten-years’ worth of travels, Štěch created an atlas of architectural and interior details. Lighting, seating, storage, tables, railings, doors, windows and more are presented in the exhibition through photos carefully arranged on a long table. These items not only represent a meticulous study of modernist detailing, but also ‘tell stories of the versatile skills of the modernist architects’, explains Štěch. His discoveries come from all across the globe – a large part from Europe, but also Australia, America and Asia. 

Founding members of the Okolo collaborative, a creative group established in 2009 that focuses on design in all its forms, Štěch, Kloss and Činčera are no strangers to creating beautiful and informative displays. ‘Homage To Detail’ is no different. Spanning hundreds of examples and revealing work by lesser-known architects, this is a captivating exhibition, which was first presented in London as ‘Objects of Refinement’. This show is even bigger and better. ‘We are very pleased to present an extended version of the exhibit on our home soil in the UM gallery,’ adds Štěch.

INFORMATION

'Homage To Detail' is on show at the Prague Academy of Arts and Design until 17 February 2018. For further information visit the website

ADDRESS

Gallery UM
UMPRUM
nám. Jana Palacha 80
Prague 1
Czech Republic

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Two villas designed by Richard Meier & Partners are the latest addition to the modern village of Oaks Prague in the Nebrenice countryside by Czech developer Arendon.

Featuring Meier’s signature large, bright spaces and clean lines, the villas are clad in white composite panels and cedar wood. In true Meier style, large expanses of glass make up the main façades, which were designed based on an architectural grid.

Referencing the pitched roofs of traditional Czech housing, these residences feature the contemporary equivalent, bringing together modern aesthetics and Meier’s geometric shapes, with an appropriate response to the requirements of the local planning codes.

‘Each villa is a complex yet simple composition of clean, straight lines and sharp edges’, says Meier. ‘It is a highly ordered study in balancing transparency and natural light with various degrees of privacy for a residence’.

A simple internal arrangement places the houses’ public areas on the ground floor, with more private rooms on the upper level. A sunken garden and rear terrace with a pool complete the outdoor space, creating, the architects explain, ‘a gradual transition between the house and nature’.

This will not be the first Meier building in the Prague vicinity - the ECM City Tower and the City Green Court, both housing offices, were completed in 2008 and 2012 respectively. Neither is this the only residential project by Meier in Oaks Prague; the design for his Oaks Frontline Apartments, which will be situated nearby, is yet to be revealed in full. However these two villas form the latest piece in the puzzle within the large scale development, which upon completion is set to also include 250 homes, a boutique hotel, and a wellness and spa center. Construction at the villas is set to commence mid-2018.

INFORMATION

For more information visit Richard Meier’s website

Inspired by her travels, entrepreneur Eva Dlabalová has supplied the new generation of digital nomads with a casually hip hostel in the Czech city of Olomouc. 

Located in the old town, a short meander away from the main square and other ecclesiastical sights such as the Holy Trinity Column, the horseshoe-shaped building holds 56 beds over a series of private and dormitory rooms. 

Inside, the pleasingly spare interiors are courtesy of designer Denisa Strmisková who dressed the spaces with a mix of vintage furnishings and sleek custom-made beds, mirrors and bathroom fixtures that offset the original vaulted ceilings in a modern monochrome palette.  

A new café and restaurant are due to open soon, but for now, the onsite bistro serves up breakfast and small snacks such as house-made soups and sandwiches. Meanwhile, the common areas are also to be extended to include a new outdoor terrace- perfect for working, meeting and greeting or exchanging travel tips.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Koželužská 945/31

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Never ones to disappoint, Prague restaurant specialists, Ambiente have launched another innovative winner, this time merging two of its established concepts – a butcher and a steak restaurant – to create one meat-focused emporium.

Occupying a former Ringhoffer bank, the restaurant’s elaborate 19th-century setting, with original murals and figurative sculptures by Czech art nouveau sculptor Jan Štursa, has called for a simple design from architect Rudolf Netík to include custom-designed furniture and copper lighting that mirrors the shapes of the tables.

The highlight is the central blue quartz bar, which provides the perfect setting to sample casual dishes such as beef tartar or even a burger. But for the full steak experience, take a seat in the restaurant or perhaps grab a cut to go from the onsite butcher.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Politických Vězňů 5

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The concept of humble yet sophisticated luxury is essential to a recently completed three-storey apartment in Prague’s Vinohrady district. Occupying the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of an elegant 19th-century residential building, the spacious apartment showcases the crafty ingenuity of the prolific A1 Architects studio.

Based in Prague, A1 Architects was founded by partners David Maštálka and Lenka Křemenová. Both studied at Prague Academy of Arts and Design (UMPRUM) – their 2009 graduation project, a wooden tea house, was located in the garden of their house. Throughout their projects, the duo have brought a tactile sensibility and Japanese-style approach to space and structure in contemporary Czech architecture.

Inspired by their travels to Japan and their friendship with Japanese master Terunobu Fujimori, the couple use minimal and humble materials to create simple forms, enhancing the beauty of the everyday.

Their three-storey apartment in Prague is one of their most luxurious and cavernous projects to date. One enters the apartment from the middle floor, where the main living room is located. The open plan main living area connects to the kitchen through a moveable wall and the two bedrooms are positioned on the lower fourth floor.

All three floors are connected by the impressive spiral staircase which has a distinctive sculptural appearence, illuminated by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s ‘AIM’ pendant lamps. The highest level of the apartment is an open gallery, connected to a large rooftop terrace by glazed doors.

The architects collaborated with master woodworkers to execute their tailor-made furniture design inspired by natural forms. These elements are accompanied by Czech furniture brand Ton’s ‘Split’ chairs, designed by Arik Levy. An intimate family memory is built into the home through the rounded stained glass window with floral motives, created by academic painter Jiří Karmazín, the uncle of the apartment’s client.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the A1 Architects website

When Czech entrepreneur David Voverka decided to open his own distillery, Javornická Palírna, in a converted pub in South Bohemia, he wanted the production facility to be as beautiful as the product. For years, Voverka had been a frequent visitor to Scotland and its scenic whisky distilleries. ‘The distilleries of many renowned Scottish brands stand right beside the sea or lonely in the serene landscape. You come in and you feel the atmosphere, the history and craft. These magical moments inspired me to start making quality spirits on my own,’ says Voverka, who also runs a successful delivery service in Prague.

In 2011, he and his wife bought a collection of buildings – a former pub and dance hall and a farmhouse – in the village of Javornice, where they also own a summer cottage, with a view to converting them and producing traditional Czech fruit distillates.

To realise his ambitions for the product and the premises, he called on a few creative friends. Internationally acclaimed product design and architecture studio Olgoj Chorchoj was enlisted to create a distinctive bottle, while graphic designers Otakar Karlas and Zuzana Vojtová oversaw the distillery’s brand identity, taking inspiration from historical alcohol labels.

Prague-based architecture studio ADR, meanwhile, undertook the renovation project, creating a minimal and sleek complex, completed last year, that embraces history as well as modernity and is at one with its surroundings.

The architects added a barn-like extension to the farmhouse and constructed a new white-painted brick volume to house the distillery production facilities, creating an enclosed and protected courtyard between the old and new buildings. Inside the new structure, industrial-looking black detailing contrasts with the white-painted brick and wooden panelling. Upstairs, the pared-back guest bedrooms, reached by an impressive steel staircase, are used to accommodate friends and special clients.

The distillery complex also includes a shop, a fruit store and a refrigerated fermentation plant. Rooms in the original buildings were renovated with a nod to the village location. The restoration of the former pub and dance hall, for example, included decorative wallpapers, a traditional counter with a beer tap, a wood-burning stove, a vintage cash box and red-painted window frames. These spaces are now open occasionally for special events and social gatherings.

As for the product, the brand buys select fruit from local farmers – cherries, pears, plums or whatever is available of high enough quality at the time – and Voverka works with his family and friends to produce a very limited number of bottles of fruit distillate each year, which are available to buy from the distillery website or at its shop.

As originally featured in the June 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*219)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Javornická Palírna website

On a quaint cobbled street, not far from the Renaissance château that dominates Litomyšl’s old quarter, Copper Bar is the latest opening from hospitality duo Jan Hubinka and Jakub Havran to sit alongside the town’s contemporary art galleries and restored palaces.

Architecture graduate Tomáš Zavoral  has smartly tackled the venue’s boxy confines with a recessed feature bar that, clad with copper sheets, creates an iridescent glow against the inky black hues that shade the rest of the space.

Serving up an enticing selection of fresh cocktails, alongside local craft beers, this new hotspot is the perfect stopover for a pre-prandial tipple before heading to Havran – a popular steak restaurant from the same duo – less than a minute hop away.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Smetanovo náměstí 136
Litomyšl

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Built on the outskirts of Prague, Jan Šépka's House in the Orchard looks like a hybrid of John Lautner's famous Chemosphere house in Los Angeles and Antti Lovag‘s Palais Bulles in southern France. But the true idea of the house is much humbler than the architecture of these glamorous icons of modernism.

House in the Orchard is the latest residential project by Šépka, a Czech architect and co-founder of the internationally-acclaimed studio HŠH. Celebrated for its unconventional living concepts, the studio has built several experimental private residences around the Czech Republic. Now, Šépka continues with this original approach to personal living space.

Designed for an old friend, the house is situated in a beautiful natural garden surrounded by trees. The steep site inspired Šépka to build a house elevated on a single concrete pillar. 'Maybe it looks like a whimsical decision, but this solution actually saved a big amount of our budget. Considering the difficult conditions, a classical foundation would be more demanding financially, Šépka explains of his structural solution.

The house's organic structure is also the result of a practical construction idea. 'Before the implementation, the beams were precisely cut on a 3D milling machine and the construction was merely assembled like a construction set on-site,' says Šépka. The irregular shape is divided into triangular spaces, which assure the stability of the wooden build and also allowed the placement of birch plywood boards. 'The shape is simply the result of the structural decision and was modelled by computer,' adds the architect.

The three-storey structure has a living area of 80 sq m and is covered in plywood sheets, which were then sprayed with a layer of polyurethane and covered with a grey, waterproof skin, resembling concrete or natural rock. Inside, the first floor is dominated by the main living space, opened via expanding windows with views of the beautiful natural surroundings on the north side. Ladder-like steps lead to the second and third floors with the bedrooms, bathroom and study on the top floor. The large skylight window in the study lights the open interior from the south through all stories. Šépka also designed custom-built plywood furniture for the interior.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Šépka Architects website

Beauty, vision, colour, creativity, sensuality, sexuality and freedom: these were the guiding principals that led the work of visionary architect Jan Kaplicky, according to the organisers of a new restrospective show of the Czech-born, London-based leader of Future Systems, who emigrated to England in 1968 and passed unexpectedly on the streets of Prague in 2009.

The same principals also helped provide the framework for the exhibition's three sections. Opening this week in Prague and running until March in the city's Dancing House Gallery, the show – featuring previously unreleased projects and concepts from his archives – was organised by lifelong friend and fellow London émigré, architect Eva Jiricna.

'We tried to look at a different side of Jan Kaplicky,' said Jiricna. 'Showing who he was as a human being was difficult, so an alternative to this approach was to show the significance of his work for future generations. That’s why the exhibition is called "Infinity".'

Spanning three floors, 'JKOK Infinity Jan Kaplicky' begins with a look at Kaplicky’s roots, such as his parents – both artists – and his early passion for model making. The ground level explores his well known projects including the Selfridges Building in Birmingham and the Media Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground (awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize), as well as his winning Czech National Library proposal that, mired in controversy, sadly never saw the light of day. 'Many cultures are based on non-rectangular buildings – we should be one of these,' reads a quote from Kaplicky, in one of a number of quips from the architect featured throughout the exhibition.

The show’s final section focuses on process, product design and unrealised works. Along with tableware and cutlery for Alessi, a necklace that doubles as a bra (recently discovered in five parts in his archives) and a fashion collection, there are models of a number of proposals in the Czech Republic, such as a golf club, a private house and a department in store in Berlin. It is Kaplicky’s bold look toward the future that shines brightest, including skyscrapers of the future, new forms of housing, and floating and habitable bridges.

'Jan Kaplicky was never a grown-up. He maintained a boyish attitude up to the age of 70. It was so refreshing and positive and optimistic,' said Jiricna. 'He loved life. He had so many pleasures. But only in his dreams. In real life he suffered about his work. Having endured World War II and communism, Jan Kaplicky remained the boy who made objects to kill the evil. But, in his secret world, everything was nice and comfortable. Full of pleasure and beauty.'

INFORMATION
’JKOK Infinity Jan Kaplicky’ is on view until 12 March 2017. For more information, visit the Dancing House Gallery website

ADDRESS

Tančící dům
Jiráskovo náměstí 6 
Prague

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Since the early 1990s, visitors to the sleepy town of  Čelákovice, just a few kilometres from Prague, could have easily missed the concrete ruin of Villa Volman. Situated in a large natural park, the house had become more of a neglected, weather-battered, graffiti-covered squat than the luxury mansion of its heyday. But the building – one of the Czech modernist movement’s forgotten icons – has been returned to its pre-war glory after years of careful restoration work.

Saved by enlightened local business group CZ Tech, the home of industrialist Josef Volman was originally built in 1939, designed by avant-garde Czech architects Karel Janů and Jiří Štursa. Prague-based Studio TaK won the competition for the renovation. ‘We had a huge appetite to be involved in a project of such significance,’ says chief architect Marek Tichý. His team’s detailed prep work, surveys, design and construction lasted almost 15 years. ‘The design of the villa is extraordinary. It is a unique example of its kind in what was then Czechoslovakia,’ adds Tichý. ‘Its architecture shows the synthesis of various streams of European modernism of the early 20th century, and also the importance and strength of the first Czech Republic, which, in the period between the world wars, was one of the most developed countries in the world.’ 

The villa is also emblematic of the divide created by a debate in Czechoslovak modernist architecture. The country’s avant-garde Devětsil group, headed by influential theorist, artist and visionary Karel Teige, advocated architecture as science, a tool to build a modern society. The opposition argued for architecture’s more artistic qualities, treating it as a means to experiment with shapes and fine art influences.

Villa Volman shows the clash between these two ideologies. Although Janů and Štursa were inclined to embrace architecture’s social call, this commission was primarily an artistic and compositional challenge. Volman, who had previously built a factory and housing for his employees in Čelákovice, bought a large piece of land and gave the architects an almost unlimited budget. The result was one of the finest (and most expensive) residences in the country’s interwar period, along with Mies van der Rohe’s Villa Tugendhat in Brno and Adolf Loos’ Müller house in Prague.

The architects conceived Villa Volman as a sculptural object. ‘It’s not just its functionalist architecture, but also the composition of the house and the context of the Elbe River and the beautiful floodplain forests nearby that need to be considered to understand the full breadth of this project,’ says Tichý. The building is a dynamic composition of intertwined volumes. Sharp lines alternate with curved walls and organic details; sleek, smooth surfaces contrast with traditional stone masonry. Bridges, walkways, balconies and staircases dominate the exterior and create a nautical character – a popular theme in the modernist architecture of the time. 

The interior is a rich mosaic. Aside from the built-in furniture and fixtures, designed by Janů and Štursa, the space was finished with contemporary pieces – some bought, some tailor-made by Volman’s daughter Ludmila, who looked after the interior decoration. ‘The villa was designed as a modern house, equipped, among other things, with central heating, high-tech mechanical infrastructure and, of course, luxurious materials, such as several types of marble, chrome details, stainless steel and exotic wood,’ says Tichý.

Unfortunately, the Volman family was not able to enjoy its home for long. ‘The fate of the villa is a reflection of the sad story of the devastation of Czech society after 1948, when the Communists came to power,’ explains Tichý. Volman lived in the villa only briefly, until his death in 1943. His daughter and her husband, Jiří Růžek, lived there throughout the Second World War, but after 1945 the Communist regime began harassing the family and they had to emigrate. The Volman factories and villa were confiscated and the house used as a kindergarten. After 1989, the villa was returned to Růžek, who offered it to the Czech state and the city of Čelákovice as a valuable cultural monument, yet even so it remained abandoned. 

CZ Tech bought it in 1998. The new owners soon called upon Tichý and his colleagues Magdalena Kurfürstová and Jan Tomeš, who started to examine the site, working with historical research and the original drawings and documentation. The most difficult part was putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, working out how the villa was built and how it looked at the time of its inception, as the damage from years of neglect was considerable. ‘It was real detective work, and involved experts from various professions,’ says Tichý. 

Unlike similar renovations, where architects may add a new, contemporary layer to a building’s historical fabric, Villa Volman was restored as faithfully as possible. New elements were selected to fill in gaps, but in a way that does not compete with the original architecture. ‘It was one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever worked on,’ says Tichý. ‘Our goal now is to present all the documents we discovered and the procedures we used in a book about the history, present and reconstruction of Villa Volman. At the same time, the owners are thinking about its potential future use, possibly as luxury long-stay apartments for the nearby baths.’

As originally featured in the November 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*212)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Studio TaK website

Caruso St John is the subject of an exhibition at the Gallery of Contemporary Art in České Budějovice, a city in the southern Czech Republic. Models, drawings and photography from 33 competitions and six projects show the development of the architecture practice over 26 years, giving 29 unrealised concepts the chance to shine.

The firm compares its unrealised output to the designing of an imaginary city. When Adam Caruso and Peter St John first established their studio in 1990, they were entering competitions once or twice a year. Now, it’s between five and ten, sometimes more. Despite the high risk of failure due to the fiercely competitive nature of the projects and the tough panels of judges with varying interests, the practice continues to put time and money into the competition process. The art of the competition lies not just in ideas, but also in presentation, practicalities and, most importantly to the architects, clarity.

Examining the competition process itself, as well as the architecture, the exhibition presents books of original A2 panels and models submitted by the practice. This is where the exhibition is most illuminating, showing the development of Caruso St John through an accumulation of projects and ideas displaying the increasing attention given by the architects to history and context. Curator Michal Škoda describes their work as strong and poetic. ‘I’m fascinated by their sensitivity for place, but also for material and detail,’ he says, ‘It is important not only to build, but also to reconstruct and Caruso St John make a really great connection between the old and new.’

Award-winning projects from the practice have demonstrated this respectful approach to history. The Tate Britain renovation completed in 2014 earned them the Civic Trust Award, New London Architecture Conservation and Retrofit Award and RIBA Award, and in 2016 the practice won the RIBA Stirling Prize for Newport Street Gallery in London. Celebrating the physicality of these realised projects, large-scale photography by Hélène Binet is displayed across the exhibition, showing the buildings in full colour and high definition.

INFORMATION
’Caruso St John – 33 Competitions, 6 Projects’ is on view until 20 November 2016. For more information visit the Gallery of Contemporary Art / House of Art České Budějovice website

ADDRESS

House of Art
Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II. 38,
České Budějovice

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TELEPHONE

420.386 360 539

The excavation of a complex of settlements from the Palaeolithic era in Lower Vestonice and Pavlov in Southern Moravia, near the Czech-Austrian borders, revealed a number of stone and bone tools, art objects and human skeletal remains, worth decades of extensive research. Thanks to them, the area is one of the hottest archaeological sites in Europe. Many of these artefacts are now accessible to visitors, who can browse through the exciting historical discoveries in the newly opened Archeopark museum, in the village of Pavlov.

The architecture of the new museum, which hosts not only the significant archaeological findings, but also a prehistoric burial ground and extensive documentation of the everyday and spiritual life of the Palaeolithic people, is just like their culture: strongly rooted in the earth. Local architects Radko Květ and Pavel Pijácek envisioned the building as a partially underground space. Several concrete volumes, sharp skylights and openings peak above ground, marking the museum’s presence in the landscape, mimicking the prehistoric architecture of dolmens and menhirs.

A gradually narrowing corridor leads visitors underground, to the main museum hall. Its abstract decoration is inspired by prehistoric engravings, cut through the side of the concrete wall. Inside, this contemporary concrete-and-wood grotto is divided into two levels that create a complex subterranean landscape. From the main hall visitors can access smaller, often deliberately claustrophobic spaces, resembling caves, where displays continue. The museum's interactive digital exhibition by Brno-based graphic studio Pixl-e is complemented with murals by Czech illustrator Michal Bacák, as well as a relief by artist Petr Písarík.

The Pavlov museum may appear relatively modest and small in size, but it packs quite a punch – its significance reaching far beyond the geographical borders of its region.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Radko Květ’s website

ADDRESS

Archeopark Pavlov
23. dubna 264
691 29 Pavlov
Czech Republic

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'This project was a real reward for us,' begins Prokop Tomásek, one of the three founders of Czech prolific architecture firm a69. 'We have run our office for 22 years and few projects were as pleasant to work on as this house.'

The Prague-based studio made its name through with a number of progressive – even at times unorthodox – residential designs, which comes as no surprise when once considers the venue of their latest venture: a former granite quarry in central Bohemia.

Sat on the edge of a rock above a small pond in a verdant area, the house was originally commissioned as a family holiday retreat, but the beauty of the landscape and the final product impressed the client's family so that they decided to make it their permanent home. They now live in the lush forest, growing their own vegetable in a nearby greenhouse and regularly inviting guests for camping trips and hosting local fishermen as they try their luck in the pond.   

The building is simple; a fairly straightforward black, wooden box. 'The house sits on 16 big dolmen-like granite stones we have found in the quarry and seems to levitate on the edge of the hill,' says the architect. The steel structure is covered by a wooden perforated grill made of standard spruce laths creating large window openings on the each side of the house. The modest timber facade contrasts the more fluid, white interior.

Three curved plasterboard walls divide up the space creating a flowing, relatively open plan interior. Big windows direct the eye out onto the landscape. 'We designed the interior as an amorphous space with the possibility to admire the natural surroundings from different angles. We chose white as a neutral background for the ever-changing views of the colourful landscape,' says Tomásek.

This visual connection between inside and outside is highlighted in the lounge, where a sunken glossy concrete floor is furnished with just a few pieces of furniture and a built-in kitchen. At the same time, bedrooms and secondary service areas are discretely tucked away behind the walls on the property’s edges. 

INFORMATION

For more information visit the A69 website

Photography: Tomáš Rasl

Czech architect Dagmar Štěpánova, head of Formafatal studio, has just completed her most comprehensive interior project to date; an impressive luxurious penthouse renovation in Prague.

The project's client approached Štěpánová with a fairly unusual request; she was to design this apartment interior as if it were her own. 'I've never had such a creative freedom in the design of an interior,' says the architect, who has previously worked as an interior designer at Mimolimit and founded her own studio last year. Her work is known for its material richness, original selection of furniture and accessories and unexpected bespoke twists. Previous work has included the Gran Fierro restaurant in Prague (W*194), which also served as inspiration for this apartment design. 

'The most difficult part of the project was working with the apartment's layout,' says the architect. 'The space is very fragmented and even though it is relatively large, it is a little awkward due to the large corridors and hallway.' The unit, a penthouse, is located on the top floor of a new apartment building in the Czech capital's Na Hřebenkách district. 'I was lucky enough to be able to work on the interior in its raw, unfinished state, so I could really start from scratch and address surface design and minor structural modifications together,' explains Štěpánová. 

The end result combines both that initial shell's rawness and plenty of tailor-made pieces. The floor, walls and ceilings were left in naked concrete, while steel bars, patinated wood and leather underlines a modern industrial look, with a Scandinavian twist. Most of the furnishings come from Scandinavia too, including tables from Mater or the iconic Hunting armchair by Danish Modernist Borge Mogensen.

'Perhaps the most exciting part of the project for me was to design all the custom-made pieces,' says the architect. Štěpánová's design includes 44 pieces of bespoke elements of furniture and fittings, such as tables, beds, sofas, doors, a library and coat hangers, perfectly uniting architecture and interiors in this contemporary apartment. 

INFORMATION
For more information visit the Formafatal website

Photography: Boys Play Nice

No doubt bolstered by the success of his first bistro Phill’s Twenty7, restaurateur Filip Mičan has now launched Phill’s Corner, literally round the corner from his first outpost.

Located in the Holport Design Centre - which itself is housed in a building that dates back to 1911 - the new eatery provides nourishment from delicious sandwiches to small appetisers and daily changing lunch menus for the local creatives in the area. 

Situated on the ground floor next to interior design store, Konsepti, Phill’s Corner joins a cast of chic design brands including Czech lighting specialist Lasvit (who has its flagship stores in the building), Moroso, Cappelini and Vitra among others, bringing its own sense of understated style to the building. 

Designed by Jan Plecháč and Henry Wielgus, rough brick walls, which have been painted white, provide the base colour for the sensual, almost monochromatic appearance, while pale mint-green concrete floors add minimal tinge of colour. Furnishings and tabletop accessories are by a mix of brands such as Menu, Magis and Vitra; and naturally lighting takes centre stage with a bold geometric ceiling installation.

The adjoining shop meanwhile provides an array of small design goods which have been lit up by Mould hanging lamps created by the duo for Lasvit.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Komunardů 32

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Martin Chum

A recently opened show at the Retromuseum in Cheb, Czech Republic, celebrates the history and design legacy of the historical sports shoe brand Botas. In 2008 graphic design students Jan Kloss and Jakup Korouš, then studying at UMPRUM in Prague, launched its sub-label Botas 66.

After a few years of designing their own colorful Botas 66 sneakers in collaboration with the original company, the duo – with their own creative producer and design organiser Darina Zavadilová – curated a retrospective exhibition to commemorate the rich history of this winning shoe brand.

The show is the Retromuseum's first retrospective (the museum focuses on documenting and researching mid-century lifestyle in the former Czechoslovakia), presenting several historical and thematic chapters of Botas' history and design.

Established in 1949 in the small town of Skuteč in East Bohemia, the company was a bestseller for Czech professional and amateur sportspeople. It became a true icon of Czech consumer production in 1966 with the launch of the legendary 'Classic' indoor model. That design was the main inspiration behind the launching of Botas 66.

The exhibition presents historical models of myriad different shoes – for running, ice skating, athletics, cycling, boxing and hiking – as well as vintage graphic design presentations and adverts featuring bold typefaces and dynamic illustrations. Product development and factory ephemera, and vintage social imagery of Botas shoes are also on display.

The colourful installation, conceived by Kloss and Matěj Činčera, channels classic Botas colour schemes. A dynamic use of Colorplan paper-covered columns hold both exhibits and contextual information. Also available is an accompanying catalogue, featuring a selection of interviews, essays and unique, never-before-published visual material.

INFORMATION

'When shoes then Botas!' runs until 31 August. For more information, visit the Retromuseum's website

ADDRESS

Retromuseum
Náměstí Krále Jiřího z Poděbrad 17,
Cheb

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Located on lawyer-turned-hotelier Adam Havlíček’s sprawling family estate, close to the Moravian cit of Zlín, Zikmundov is housed in a former gamekeeper’s lodge that dates to 1612.

Tasked with the restoration, local architect Luděk del Maschio - in collaboration with sculptor Patrick Čabla - reinstated two pillars to their original beauty, while enhancing the rest of the building’s original bones with contemporary additions; guest rooms are dressed with colourful wallpapers, while rustic materials such as wood and stone and an eclectic selection of furniture create a homely atmosphere. ‘We wanted our guests to feel more like they are visiting their friends than a hotel,’ says Havlíček on the concept. 

Work off an indulgent meal from the restaurant with a host of local activities from horseback riding to hiking, before heading to the wellness area to wallow in one of the two wood-fired bath barrels.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Staré Hutě 93

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Now in its fourth generation, the Belda jewellery company got its start in 1915 when founder Ladislav Belda emigrated to the US and established Czechoslovak Beads & Co in Manhattan. Then focused on bijoux, today this longstanding family company – with a flagship shop in Prague’s centre – is an icon on the Czech design scene, known for its handmade, limited edition collections that offer a sculptural, often stark, aesthetic and a simultaneously timeless and contemporary design.

Behind its striking bracelets, brooches, necklaces, earrings and rings is Jiri Belda Jr (grandson of Ladislav), Alena Beldova and the newest generation: their daughter Viktorie. Mr Belda, who is behind the majority of the handiwork, took the helm from his father, Jiri Belda Sr, who today observes from the sidelines at the Belda Factory in Turnov, where his father established a company hub on his return to the country in the 1920s.

Celebrating their centenary in 2015, Belda’s recent 'Cesky Raj' collection pays tribute to the area: a beautiful part of the country, which translates as 'Czech Paradise'. Featuring nature-inspired motifs and stones typical of the region, the collection began with a silver brooch in the shape of a twig, speckled with garnets. ‘The idea was my mother's,’ says Viktorie. ‘We then took this idea and made the collection more abstract.’

Working mainly in silver, within which precious stones are inset, Belda’s design inspiration in general varies from materials to techniques to shapes. In the past, the company has commissioned pieces from some of the Czech Republic’s leading names in design, architecture and art, including London-based Czech architect Eva Jiricna, Maxim Velcovsky and David Cerny. This year the family company will introduce a men’s collection, created in collaboration with local design studio Vrtiska Zak. 'Cesky Raj' recently earned Belda a nomination for a Czech Grand Design Award – the country’s most prestigious design accolade.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Belda’s website 
Photography: Kristina Hrabětová

ADDRESS

Belda
Mikulandská 119/10
110 00 Prague

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