Archinect - News

Researchers debut mycelium glamping cabin prototype

2024-05-06T17:04:00-04:00

A new experimental demonstration glamping concept that represents likely the first building project made using mycelium in the Czech Republic has debuted from the home reconstruction financier Buřinka with a cross-disciplinary team from Mykilio and the Czech Technical University called MYMO.

Rendering courtesy Buřinka and MYMO

The SAMOROST concept is the latest example of sustainable construction using mushroom-based compounds as an alternative material to insulate external walls, roofs, and floors, as well as other non-load-bearing components. The cabins were designed using special proprietary mycocomposite, which they claim has been proven in lab testing over the past two years to have suitable qualities for residential structures. The experiment sought to improve usability for campers and is being pursued with support from the country’s Minister of the Environment, Petr Hladík.

Rendering courtesy Buřinka and MYMO

Design author Tomasz Kloza, a final year Master's in architecture and...

Steven Holl and SKUPINA-designed Terezín Ghetto Museum advances

2024-02-02T15:16:00-05:00

Steven Holl Architects is advancing toward the start of their Terezín Ghetto Museum project in the Czech Republic. The firm was named the winner of an international competition to design an extension of the existing museum in 2022 and will deliver the project on the site, which was first constructed as a citadel in 1780. The Schematic Design phase was completed in March.

Commemorating the lives of an estimated 33,000 Jews that were lost under Nazi occupation in Terezín between 1939 and 1942, the Museum is an important tool in the culture sector’s response to antisemitism and will result in a “hopeful new presence” in a country whose social fabric is seen by some as being strained by hate groups and far-right extremists.

Image courtesy Steven Holl Architects

SKUPINA, the 21-year-old studio founded in Prague by Marcela Steinbachová, is included as the co-architect of the scheme. The pair had previously collaborated on a small renovation project for the interiors of the Franz Kafka Soci...

Zaha Hadid Architects completes Prague high-rise development with cascading terraces

2023-12-20T11:53:00-05:00

Zaha Hadid Architects has designed a high-rise building in the Czech Republic adjacent to one of Prague’s major railway stations. Named Masaryčka, the scheme has been envisioned as “a welcoming gateway to the city for suburban and domestic rail passengers as well as those using the express rail link that is currently under construction to Prague’s international airport.”

Image credit: BoysPlayNice

According to the architects, the complex’s form is designed to establish a dialogue with the architecture and urbanism of Prague’s Old Town. Containing office and retail uses, the 300,000-square-foot development incorporates seven stories within its eastern section and nine stories at its western end.

Image credit: BoysPlayNice

On the exterior, fins within the double-skin facade contribute to solar shading in the summer and “transform the project’s horizontal composition to the verticality of its western facade facing the spires of the Old Town.” A cascade of terraces divides the development...

CHYBIK + KRISTOF debut greenhouse tribute to Gregor Mendel in Brno

2023-06-01T17:03:00-04:00

The Brno office of CHYBIK + KRISTOF (CHK) just completed a new scientific greenhouse project in its historic Czech Republic home city.

Mendel’s Greenhouse is an homage to the influential late-19th-century genetics biologist and takes its form from the namesake’s own drawings of the human hereditary system produced at St. Augustin Abbey, to which the then 22-year-old first came to reside in 1844.

Photography by Laurian Ghinițoiu. Courtesy of CHYBIK + KRISTOF.

Taking the resemblance of the site’s original greenhouse that served as a laboratory for Mendel until it was destroyed in the 1870s, the new glass and steel structure will serve as a permanent exhibition of his scientific legacy as it doubles as a new hub for community and social engagement for Brno’s population of nearly 400,000.

Photography by Laurian Ghinițoiu. Courtesy of CHYBIK + KRISTOF.

CHK empha...

Steven Holl’s zinc-clad Ostrava Concert Hall set to begin construction

2023-04-21T11:39:00-04:00

Construction is set to begin on the Steven Holl Architects-designed Ostrava Concert Hall in the Czech Republic. Hall won the competition for the scheme’s design back in 2018 with a proposal that saw the concert hall “encased” in a case of zinc.

Image credit: Steven Holl Architects

The 1,300-seat concert hall was designed in collaboration with Prague-based associate architects Architecture Acts and is being developed in collaboration with the city of Ostrava. The team has previously described the scheme as a “perfect acoustic instrument in its case,” with a smooth facade of zinc covering a vineyard-type concert hall plan made of concrete and maple wood.

Image credit: Steven Holl Architects

“We celebrate the completion of construction drawings and building permit with the hope of realizing this great public work for the joy of future generations,” Hall said as the scheme prepares to begin construction. “Ostrava’s legacy of music, the highest art, shall get a space of perfect acoustics a...

Chybik + Kristof's new Ostrava Tower will become the tallest skyscraper in the Czech Republic

2022-02-15T18:49:00-05:00

The Czech Republic is set to receive yet another major new architectural addition after Chybik + Kristof unveiled plans for what it says will become the country’s tallest skyscraper.

Located in the central district of Ostrava, the 235-meter (771-foot) Ostrava Tower is a case for “[reconsidering] the typology of the skyscraper into a new functional entity responsive to the contemporary social needs,” according to the architects. Namely, the 98,000-square-meter (1.05-million-square-foot) multi-use building will bring to light the important activation of public space caused by the infill project which began in 2019.

Visualization: Igor Brozyna - PLACES studio, NORVISKA, Dousek Zaborsky

Ostrava is in the process of completing its three-decade transformation from a coal and heavy metals producer to a newer economy that leans on its rich stock of traditional architecture in order to create the necessary spaces required to keep up with the demands of its million-plus inhabitants in the met...

Feilden+Mawson envisions new art and architecture campus for one of the Czech Republic's top universities

2022-01-18T18:35:00-05:00

A much-needed upgrade is coming to one of the most popular universities in the Czech Republic thanks to plans for a new art and architecture campus for Brno University of Technology from Feilden+Mawson’s FAM Architekti studio.

Image: Feilden+Mawson / FAM Architekti

The Prague-based entity is responsible for the transformation of a 19th-century former army barracks into what will become the new home for both the architecture and fine arts faculties. A full-scale extension of one of the two main extant buildings will provide architecture students with design studios, a library, and auditorium space while the fine arts facilities only require minor additions and alterations. Each will be connected through a large new opening which houses a cafe.

Image: Feilden+Mawson / FAM Architekti

FAM is envisioning the architecture facility as an open floor plan with “sort of a studio landscape.” A large central atrium stands...

The world's first 3D-printed parkour park is unveiled in Prague

2021-10-05T18:21:00-04:00

The world’s first 3D-printed parkour park was unveiled in Prague 11, a municipal district in Prague, Czech Republic.

The project was a joint endeavor between building society Stavební spořitelna České spořitelny (Buřinka), 3Deposition, and the Prague 11 municipality. It was designed by architect and vice chairman of the Czech Parkour Association Daniel Samek.

The park spans a diameter of 14 meters (46 feet) and contains 14 3D-printed elements connected by steel pipes. The elements were printed on a frame printer using recycled concrete, known as rebetong, by 3Deposition, a company founded by researchers from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Brno University of Technology. The printing, which took 10 hours, required 12.5 tons of special concrete mix from Master Builders Solutions CZ.

Aside from parkour training, the elements of the playground can also be used as an outdoor gym and are intended to be used by everyone starting at ten years old. As noted by Buřinka, the advant...

Chybik + Kristof Architects to turn existing arena into four-building multipurpose cultural center in Czech Republic

2020-07-02T09:00:00-04:00

Chybik + Kristof Architects & Urban Designers have been selected to complete the construction of the Jihlava Multipurpose Arena, which will be one of the largest sports and leisure complexes in the Czech Republic. Construction is due to commence in 2021 and will be complete in 2023.

The project will build on the city's existing hockey stadium that was built back in 1956 and expand it into a four-building mixed-use sporting facility. The program includes an adaptable ice rink, a rooftop running track, and a gym in addition to a sports academy, hospitality establishments, and shops.

The planned use of the space will be to host both regional sporting and cultural events as well as act as a public platform open to a variety of audiences for use in a diverse range of activities. With a capacity of 5,600 spectators, the multifunctional space will extend the existing stadium's accommodations.

"We envisioned the Jihlava Multipurpose Arena as a deeply versatile complex, whose various funct...

Czech 3D-printed floating house is now complete

2020-07-01T11:50:00-04:00

Recently covered on Archinect, PRVOK (Protozoon), a Czech 3D-printed floating house has been completed in České Budějovice. The entire structure, including the interior partitions, was printed in 22 hours and required a total of 17 tons of concrete mixture. PRVK is now going through a series of tests to ensure proper performance. Static pressure, for example, has been tested which concluded that the internal load-bearing wall of the home can withstand a 50-ton load, according to the development team.

Photo by Kateřina Nováková.

Rendering of bathroom. r.

"Despite minor issues caused by the weather, we managed to 3D-print the house successfully. It took us 22 hours in total and we needed 17 tons of custom-developed mixture. As the concrete will take 28 days to harden, we are completing the house, preparing the green roof, floors, all distributions, doors, windows, etc," said sculptor and project leader Michal Trpák in a statement.

Renderings courtesy of Buřinka.

...

This 3D-printed house will be ready for land and water

2020-05-28T19:31:00-04:00

Around the world, private companies and public institutions alike are racing to present "first-of-its-kind" 3D-printed buildings, even entire villages.

In the Czech Republic, a developing company in collaboration with sculptor Michal Trpak is preparing to build, what it calls, the country's first 3D-printed inhabitable house this June.

Called Prvok (Protozoon), the project's building process is promoted as significantly cutting construction time, material waste, carbon emissions, and overall cost when compared to the region's conventional brick buildings.

"Prvok od Burinky (Protozoon) will have three rooms — a bathroom with toilet, living room with a kitchen and a bedroom," explains the project announcement. "The building will be anchored on a pontoon and is a year-round livable house."

"The house offers eco technologies such as recuperation, recirculation shower, remote control, green roof, as well as reservoirs for drinking, utility and sewage water."

Printing the 43 sqm / 463 s...

Atelier 111 Architekti creates a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Czech fisherman cottage

2018-11-05T14:11:00-05:00

Tucked within the natural landscape of Vysočina, Czech Republic is a 538 square foot structure inspired by traditional fisherman cottages. Although its size is limited due to building legislation, this holiday cottage provides scenic views and a space perfect for recreation. Consisting of four small structures, each satisfies a specific purpose. Three of the four cottages are connected unifying the central room, a residential kitchen, a small loft space for children, as well as a bedroom and a lounge located on the adjacent side.

Image © BoysPlayNice

The sleek, minimalistic interior creates a warm atmosphere thanks to the wood finish details that encompass the space. The large windowsalong the side of the cottage allows for perfect views of the water. The simple interiors nicely complement the surrounding areas allowing for the space to be a perfectly serine getaway. The fourth cottage, detached from the rest, has a dual purpose as a place for...

Czech studio KOGAA turns former distillery into a Social Reactor

2018-07-12T19:30:00-04:00

"During our architecture practice we felt the need to create a working space which could represent our work and way of thinking" says KOGAA Architectural Studio, a Czech firm based out of Brno, the country's second largest city.

Photography by Jakub Skokan and Martin Tůma / BoysPlayNice

As post-industrial cities are increasingly left with unused complexes, buildings and brownfields, adaptive reuse has become an increasingly popular approach to breath new life into these spaces. When the firm came across a former distillery, they saw the potential to turn it into their new studio and activate the area.

Photography by Jakub Skokan and Martin Tůma / BoysPlayNice

"We do adaptive reuse projects with a vision, and a flexible frame that allows the buildings to act as an alive organism. It is our solution to build up our cities in a sustainable manner" the firm says.

Photography by Jakub Skokan and Martin Tůma / BoysPlayNice

The distil...

Atelier Štěpán designs “dematerialized” rotunda church in the Czech Republic

2017-08-29T15:57:00-04:00

In the heart of Sazovice in the Czech Republic, the Church of St. Wenceslas rotunda was designed by Moravian architectural practice Atelier Štěpán. Completed this year, the new church's circular form is based on the rotundas built during St. Wenceslas' time in the 10th century.

Atelier Štěpán redesigned the old rotunda into a new gothic square-shaped chapel within the Prague cathedral. “We circumscribed a circle around the square and continued to design with the same proportions and positioning of altar, entrance and stairs,” Atelier Štěpán says.

Photo: Jakub Skokan and Martin Tůma/BoysPlayNice.

The church's interior is pared down with modest decoration and soft lighting in order to create an inviting, peaceful space for meditation. It also houses relics of its patron saint. Curved pews surround an organically shaped, bronze-shell altar.

Photo: Jakub Skokan and Martin Tůma/BoysPlayNice...

A curvaceous, shingled weekend cottage in the Czech Republic

2017-05-15T12:48:00-04:00

Set in a community of “small-sized quaint” weekend cottages in Dobříš, Czech Republic, this house by Mimosa Architects features few exterior edges. Rather, the curvaceous structure was designed according to the desire of its occupants to “have an unusual, environmentally soft house built of natural materials.”

The home is made of massive wooden slabs and wood fiber insulation. The surfaces are covered with larch shakes, imparting “a tinier scale to the house as well as a feeling of solidarity with the forest behind its back”.

Living areas face a garden on the south side of the lot, while service rooms are located towards the front.

Surviving in style: the world's largest private doomsday shelter has a swimming pool, wine cellar, art vaults

2015-11-16T13:51:00-05:00

This is The Oppidum, a massive 323,000 square foot property with plans for a spectacular estate. What lies hidden beneath, carved deep in the mountain is the largest residential doomsday shelter in the world. [...] The planned luxurious underground compound on two levels includes a total space of 77,500 sf with 13 foot high ceilings. The layout features one large 6,750 sf apartment and six 1,720 sf apartments. Construction on the secret facility began in 1984, at the height of the Cold War.

Related on Archinect:

Czech Communist architecture may be protected

2014-04-21T13:34:00-04:00

The new commission for cultural heritage protection, an adviser to the Czech National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) director, has recommended that the state start protecting relatively young works of architecture from the second half of the 20th century [...] “Unlike the architecture of the interwar Czechoslovakia, the post-war architecture has been omitted by protection programs so far, also because its valuable pieces are more difficult to distinguish."

Archinect Field Trip: Solar Decathlon 2013, Basking in Arrays of Energy Efficiency

2013-10-15T15:28:00-04:00

Plopped down on a former Marine Corp air station in the geographic middle of Orange County, nineteen solar-powered model homes line the runway to be judged in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2013 Solar Decathlon. For its first year held away from the National Mall in Washington D.C., the Solar Decathlon was staged in Irvine’s Great Park, which while being an abandoned airstrip surrounded by farmland, housing developments and dirt, purports to be the “first major metropolitan park of the 21st century”. For ten days, collegiate teams from around the world showcased their houses for public tours and competition in ten categories that grade affordability, marketability, design and energy efficiency. Each team has architects and engineers (sometimes from multiple schools) collaboratively design and build a fully functional solar-powered home for their chosen environment.

What does the Department of Energy do with these winning designs once the competition is over? Anticlimactically, most ...

A top-secret Czech bunker used by the Soviet army opens to the public

2013-08-27T15:34:00-04:00

A military bunker in Brdy that reportedly housed Soviet nuclear warheads during the years of the Cold War has been turned into an Atom Museum. It opened to the public last week attracting military buffs and historians from far and wide.

'The most original Czech architect of our times', Jiri Stritecky, 58, passed away yesterday

2012-12-06T12:42:00-05:00

"He was the most original architect of our times, in (Ceske) Budejovice, in the southern Czech region, even in the entire (Czech) Republic." Martin Krupauer "V současnosti to je nejoriginálnější architekt, který v Budějovicích, jižních Čechách i v celé republice byl,"

Jiri Stritecky passed away at the young age of 58, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, of cancer. He was a partner, with Martin Krupauer, of the creative Czech architecture firm Atelier 8000. His ideas and approach to design were inspired by nature, and by his wonder and love of life itself. He will be missed by his colleagues, his friends around the world and his students.