House is difficult to access, located on a steep basalt slope above the village. Garden is facing northeast. On the other hand there is a positive side to it – an exceptionally beautiful view on the river. Builder feels a very strong connection to this place, as there used to be a small weekend cottage built by his grandparents.
We are asking how to adapt a hundred years old and only little maintained house to everyday needs of a modern family (small floor space, technology and materials not functional anymore, lacking sanitary facilities …). At the same time we do not want to break or violate soft, sensitive links and layerings created here over the time, as these generate a strong character of this place – magical (and familiar) atmosphere.
Existing green mound, protecting the open fields of the game preserve from the bustle of the road became a refuge for hunting lodge – a lookout, which replaced original technically unsuitable structure. Above all, the lodge provides necessary facilities for the game preserve, as well as becomes a place of encounters, whether with friends or of romantic views of the surrounding countryside.
City Green Court is the third of a cluster of buildings designed by Richard Meier & Partners and it completes the corner of the Radio Plaza superblock located in the Pankrac area of Prague. The building is conceived of as a geometric volume in dialogue with the near context while offering respected contrast to the surrounding buildings. Smaller in scale than its predecessor and sibling, City Tower, it is equally inspired by the language of Czech Cubism, with a façade that while addressing issues of conservation and sustainability incorporates forms reminiscent of this avant-garde movement. The quote below, in essence, sums up the philosophy and concepts behind City Green Court.
The house is divided into two masses. Mass of single-floor (Ground floor) is a “plate” free umbrella residential space that is open to surroundings. This living area has a strong “Back” hosted service block together with a garage. Mass of two floors with a distinctive roof rack is contrary to the self-contained house (wood house) with bedrooms, bathrooms and relevant rooms, connected to the living area by short corridor. Modification of the land among them creates smooth connection between the interior and exterior.
The basic idea is a kind of enclosure of the building in and on itself, and the use of the sloping ground to divide the building into a two-storey main residential part on the upper part of the land and a lower building containing the garages and entrance hall further down the slope. The result is essentially a two-storey house with a flat roof, positioned atop the concrete “retaining wall” of the lower structure. The house’s plan is of “U”-shape, or equally it could be described as a rectangle with an interior atrium open on one side to the surrounding landscape. Inside the atrium is a small pool, which ensures for this space pleasant cooling, reinforced by the system of louvered blinds against the sun.
House Erwin, which filled an empty corner site, is reviving the corner and makes it more attractive. The House accepts the height of surrounding buildings and highlights the corner by shaping it’s volume. The facade is divided into horizontal strips filled with window openings and façade cladding panels.
The site is located in Prague 6 Bubeneč, on the street of Charles De Gaulle. The definition of open spaces – distances from surrounding homes is designed, so that these spaces were equally placed and thus preserve as adequate privacy for residents of existing homes and for future residents of the proposed new building.
Kino Aero, the cinema and bar is one of the oldest movie clubs in Prague. Simple modernist building is originally part of an apartment block from the 30´s and especially after the Velvet revolution it became famous for its unique nonconform atmosphere within Prague´s culture space.
PLACE
On the southern edge of garden The Black Teahouse reflects itself in water level of small dark lake. Large and exceptionally cultivated garden becomes natural part of nearby pine forest and its southern edge defined by S-shaped lake with grassy banks makes beautiful surroundings of the family house. And the Teahouse is just part of this carefully designed scenery. There is also fabulous view of the lake, which could be admired by the host and guests from the teahouse. It is a small place to gather, it is a place for a cup of tea.
email
Facebook
Twitter
RSS Feed
