Zarkon Group, Author at Zarkon Group Real Estate Builders & Developers

Concrete building with vertical protrusion and square windows

Architecture

Monolithic New York museum pavilion features “perfect cube” gallery

By Zarkon Group,13/07/2023

Spanish architects Alberto Campo Baeza and Miguel Quismondo have collaborated to create the Robert Olnick Pavilion for the Magazzino Italian Art museum in Cold Spring, New York.

The concrete-clad pavilion is the second structure on the campus of the museum, which is dedicated to promoting Italian art and design in the United States.

Quismondo, who designed the first building on the site, worked with Baeza to expand the gallery capabilities of the institution.

The pavilion is partially submerged into a sloping green hill, with entrances on either side of the building at the top and bottom of the grade.

It has a monolithic concrete facade with little detail, punctuated at points by simple square windows. At the top of the hill, the structure has a vertical element that gives the whole building an L shape.

Within this space a double-height gallery was conceived of as an isotropic room that is a “perfect cube”, according to the architects. Windows were placed at each corner to create a sundial effect when light from outside enters.

White interior room with light streaming through square windows — The architects included a perfectly cubic room that functions like a sundial with strategically placed windows

“We built the Robert Olnick Pavilion like a poem: a white cube traversed by light,” said Baeza.

“The main space will embody the beauty of the artwork it exhibits, and with an isotropic design that carves an opening into every corner, each detail will be touched by magnificent sunlight.”

“Not unlike the excitement of birth, it is with great anticipation that we deliver this second building to the museum.”

Polished concrete floors and white ceilings — The interior features polished concrete floors and white ceilings

The building has two floors and a mezzanine, with a long first floor that stretches the length of the structure and holds a variety of programming spaces, terminating at a glass end wall that overlooks a sunken courtyard.

The primary floor holds the two main galleries, one in the long end of the building and another housed in the double-space element created by the vertical element at the top of the grade.

“The pavilion has a humble layout that highlights industrial materials such as concrete to facilitate a conceptually strong and aesthetically neutral environment to compliment the postwar and contemporary Italian art and design it will exhibit,” said the museum.

White room with beams of sunlight — The galleries will hold art by Italian creatives

Between the two gallery spaces is a mezzanine level that is accessed from the door at the top of the slope. This space holds a cafe with a seating area that extends outdoors.

All the interiors are stark white, in line with the minimalism of the facade. Polished concrete flooring and seamless overhead lights were designed to add to the smoothness of the interior.

White light in white gallery space — The structure has two floors and a mezzanine

The museum plans to launch its first exhibitions in the fall, featuring the work of Italian designers and artists such as painter Mario Schifano and architect Carlo Scarpa.

Baeza and Quasimondo has been working with museum founders Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu for more than twenty years, and designed the pair’s home, which was Baeza’s first US project, in 2003.

Other projects by Baeza include a sports complex in Madrid designed to be a “box of light” and a white-walled minimalist house in Monterrey, Mexico.

The photography is by Marco Anelli.

Reference

Photo of the exterior of the Fender flagship store, showing the outside of the

Interior Design

Klein Dytham Architecture gives Fender flagship store a welcoming feel

By Zarkon Group,12/07/2023

Klein Dytham Architecture has aimed to counter rock music snobbery with its design for guitar brand Fender’s Tokyo flagship store, which is meant to feel welcoming to people who might feel judged in other guitar stores.

The Fender store sits across the bottom four floors of the glass-walled Ice Cubes building, a 12,000-square-metre space in the neighbourhood of Harajuku that was formerly home to an H&M store.

It is the world’s first flagship store for the 77-year-old American brand, which is one of the most recognisable names in guitars and is particularly known for electric models like the Stratocaster.

For the project, Fender asked Klein Dytham Architecture to create a space that would counter the perception of guitar stores as being intimidating, particularly for women and newer players.

It hoped the store would offer a sophisticated and immersive retail experience that would encourage leisurely browsing and communicate the brand’s heritage.

Klein Dytham Architecture answered the brief with a store design it sees as creating “a destination of discovery”, with gallery exhibits, an event space, a cafe and a “care bar” for repairs.

Photo of the first floor of the Fender Tokyo flagship store, showing many guitars displayed on curving light wood display stands — The main browsing area on the first floor features display stands made of curved wood

The first floor houses the main browsing area, which features undulating wood benches and display units that are meant to echo the curves and materials of a Fender guitar. These contours are further mimicked in the lighting above.

The area also has custom plectrum-shaped tables where staff can place guitars they have removed from the display to show customers. Clothing racks holding the F is for Fender streetwear collection sit among the guitars.

The second floor, which was realised in a soft grey palette, is primarily an exhibition space called the Artists Gallery.

Photo of a gallery-like space displaying large photos and a video of musicians and their guitars, as well as guitars in transparent display cases — The second floor is the main gallery space

Here, large-scale photos and video shows famous musicians in action, each one alongside a transparent display case housing their Fender of choice.

There are also displays dedicated to Japanese- and American-designed Fenders respectively, and a sound-proofed Amp Room where customers can test run guitars and amps.

On the darker and moodier third floor, another exhibition space — the Master Builders Gallery — focuses on the work of specific craftspeople, while two VIP rooms and a custom shop are furnished with comfortable couches and provide a setting for discussing bespoke builds.

Also on this floor is a colourful display of 400 guitar finish samples that fills the length of one wall.

Photo of a dark grey room with big couches and armchairs in the foreground and a library of colourful material and component samples along the back wall. On the side wall, a sign reads Fender Custom Shop — The third floor includes the Fender custom shop

The final floor is the basement, which houses an event space, cafe and the Fender care bar, and where Klein Dytham Architecture endeavoured to create a cosier feel with a plectrum-shaped rug and benches.

Tying the floors together is a spiral staircase with a hall-of-fame-style photo gallery on the interior, as well as a three-storey-high vertical LED display on the glass facade outside that will be used for Fender-related content.

Photo of a room with light-coloured walls, red cushioned bench seating and displays of acoustic guitars in the centre of the room, and racks full of guitar accessories at the back. Near the back wall, a man stands behind a counter with a display of guitar parts behind him and talks to a woman who is leaning on the front of the counter — The basement includes an event space and a care bar

“Conceived as a hub and clubhouse for all things Fender, this project takes the notion of a flagship store and experiential retail to beyond the next level,” Klein Dytham Architecture co-founder Mark Dytham told Dezeen.

Dytham started the practice with fellow Royal College of Art graduate Astrid Klein in Tokyo in 1991. Some of their recent work includes the PokoPoko clubhouse for the Risonare Nasu hotel in rural Japan and a Cartier store with an intricate wooden facade in Osaka.

Photography by Nacása & Partners.

Reference

Sustainable News

AI and remote sensing technology for managing water risk

By Zarkon Group,12/07/2023

Spotted: By 2030, the world’s communal demand for fresh water is expected to outstrip supply by 40 per cent. How to avert this crisis is a question many innovators, researchers, and agencies are working to answer. And sustainable management of the water that is currently available is a crucial aspect of the global solution.

Understanding the health of the world’s bodies of water, along with current and potential future risks is vital, and San Francisco-based technology company Waterplan has created a platform that uses remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) to track, analyse, and mitigate the risk to global water supplies.

The platform helps organisations of any kind plan for the future by protecting water supplies now. The highly detailed reports include data from regulatory reviews, watershed authorities, industry analysis, scientific research, and more, with information presented in easily navigable formats. Clients view data by site and can see at a glance which areas need risk mitigation first.

The reports are structured in a way that makes them usable for investors, and client input helps shape what areas the AI tracks. Sustainability managers use the platform to track progress against targets and measure the efficacy of various interventions. Operations managers can use the platform to maintain peak productivity across all processes and locations, as well as predict adjustments needed based on changing conditions.

With the need for robust data continual, Waterplan recently closed an oversubscribed series A financing round that raised $11 million (around €10 million).

Cleaning polluted water is one way to improve the quantity of supply, and examples from Springwise’s archive include a membrane that generates electricity while cleaning wastewater and a modular sewage treatment plant that fits inside a shipping container.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Aerial views of roof terraces. Photo by CHUTTERSNAP via Unsplash

Architecture

Is Demand Set to Grow for Architects Specialized in Green Roof Design and Renovation?

By Zarkon Group,12/07/2023

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

Rooftops have traditionally been the domain of mechanical equipment, line-drying laundry and the occasional playground for kids. Panoramic views and good weather make the perfect setting for sunset drinks (bars, restaurants and hotels got it right!), but expansive areas of residential building rooftops remain underused around the world. These spaces are waiting to be transformed into pleasant outdoor environments — and not necessarily for lucrative purposes. The benefits of transforming rooftops extend not only to residents but to entire cities at large.

Roof terraces aerial view. Photo by CHUTTERSNAP via Unsplash.

In densely populated areas where scant land is available, underused roofs offer the opportunity to expand green urban areas, promoting urban biodiversity, improving the well-being of city dwellers and reducing negative environmental impact. With green roof technology, rooftops no longer accumulate heat during the day, creating the so-dreaded heat island effect. Instead, they retain rainwater and capture CO2 and pollutants. Turning rooftops into pleasant outdoor spaces accessible to building residents is an effective use of otherwise wasted built space and offers the opportunity to replace lost habitats.

Improving the Quality of Life for City Dwellers

Architects, developers, builders, landscape architects/designers and product manufacturers are the ideal team to create cohesive, functional and sustainable buildings that improve city dwellers’ quality of life. Architectural examples worldwide demonstrate that the effort to counter the overpopulation of urban areas and the scant green spaces is global. They differ, however, in the architectural vocabulary, which, in each case, facilitates the integration of buildings into their specific context, taking into account cultural, climatic and economic factors.

90-unit housing development in Saint-Ouen, France, by Atelier du Pont. Photo by Takuji Shimmura.

Take, for example, Atelier du Pont 90-unit mixed-use building in Saint-Ouen, near Paris, France, which draws inspiration from the city’s industrial heritage. The project offers private open spaces at various levels and a shared community garden, a gathering spot for the building’s residents.

The building’s overall massing of staggered concrete “boxes” maximizes natural daylight, while brightly colored metal balconies provide private outdoor spaces. On the sixth floor, a community garden offers open space for residents to grow their own organic vegetables and socialize. As open spaces in cities dwindle, rooftops and terraces open a world of opportunities.

Avalon Bay Urban Housing Landscape by Todd Rader + Amy Crews Architecture Landscape Architecture LLC, New York City, NY

Meanwhile, our next case study brings us to the New York City, where Todd Rader + Amy Crews designed the landscapes at Avalon Bowery Place in the heart of the concrete jungle, where scant land is available. The new landscapes root the project in the urban context and provide open space for the building’s residents and the neighborhood.

The project includes three landscapes at the ground level and two on building rooftops. While the ground-level landscapes unify the complex through visual connection and material selection, the roof terraces are physically isolated landscapes in the sky, where they enjoy sunny exposure and participate in the aerial archipelago formed by the landscape of city rooftops.

Nieuw Bergen development in Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Nieuw Bergen by MVRDV, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Finally, let’s take a look at The Nieuw Bergen — a multi-unit housing development in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Its design responds to an urban strategy tool that the architects, MVRDV, have been developing and implementing in cities on the way to sustainable densification. This strategy establishes environmentally friendly and dynamic living conditions for residents. The sloped roofs maximize sunlight for the buildings and the public spaces at street level, resulting in significant energy savings. The diverse roofscape of solar panels and greenery complement the area’s architectural character of new and existing buildings.

So, given all of the clear urban benefits demonstrated by the private initiatives explored in these examples, what would it look like to implement green roof design at an urban scale? Well, one European city has already recognized the broader benefits of mandating this architectural upgrade and is exploring ways to provide impetus for designers to incorporate green roofs in their plans.

Barcelona Living Terrace Roofs and Green Roofs Initiative

Following the example of other European cities, Barcelona has been promoting environmentally conscious initiatives, offering sustainable solutions to reduce pollution and increase access to green areas (internationally, Barcelona’s popular superblock concept has received a lot of coverage). Now, the Living Roofs and Green Covers initiative highlights the social and environmental benefits of green roofs and, since 2017, has been the platform to launch the Green Roof Competitions to promote the creation of green rooftops in privately owned residential buildings.

Initiatives like this one are paramount to raising environmental awareness. According to the Guide to Living Terrace Roofs and Green Roofs published by the City of Barcelona in 2014, it is estimated that 67% of the surface area of roofs in Barcelona (1,764.4 hectares) could be landscaped. If this could ever be achieved, the temperature in the city would drop by approximately two degrees, the green area per resident would more than double and the levels of air pollution would be considerably lower.

The Expansion of the Green Roof Market

The surface area that city building roofs cover is vast, and the social and environmental benefits of greening these surfaces are considerable. Building owners invest in green roofs, designers dream up the plans, and city authorities play a major role in spreading the practice. Choosing between living in the suburbs close to nature and living in the city near work is no longer necessary. Building residents are looking for homes with outdoor access, especially since the pandemic.

Aware of the increasingly popular demand, the real estate industry sees multi-unit residential buildings with partially or entirely planted rooftops as an architectural trend that adapts to a contemporary lifestyle. But how fast is the green roof market expanding? Studies indicate that the global green roof market has been steadily growing at a rate of 17% since 2020 and is expected to grow at this same rate through 2027. Limitations for this growth? Unfavorable climate conditions and maintenance requirements.

Reference

Banquette seating with wool wall hanging above in Donna restaurant

Interior Design

Michael Groth uses natural and recycled materials inside Donna restaurant

By Zarkon Group,11/07/2023

New York designer Michael Groth collaborated with a Moroccan artisan cooperative to create the wall hangings for this worker-owned bar and restaurant in the West Village.

The opening of Donna‘s new location on Cornelia Street follows the closure of its Williamsburg spot in December 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Serving a pan-Latin menu with Mediterranean influences and Filipino-inspired cocktails, the restaurant and bar is now a worker-owned cooperative, with original owner Leif Young Huckman acting as an advisor.

To reflect this shift, Brooklyn-based Groth aimed to imbue the design of the new outpost with references to the previous location while nodding to Donna’s revised business model.

Bar area with earth-toned plaster walls — Earth-toned limewash plaster was applied to the walls in geometric patterns

He drew influences from the constructivist art movements of Latin America in the 20th century and particularly the work of artists Sandu Darie, Pedro Alvarez and Lygia Clark.

Donna is decorated with earth-toned limewash plaster, applied to the walls in geometric patterns that echo the brand’s visual identity.

Circular light fixture above the dining area in Donna restaurant — Groth created wall hangings in collaboration with artisan cooperative The Anou

Exposed brickwork is painted white, forming a plain backdrop for the circular wool wall hangings that Groth created in collaboration with Moroccan artisan cooperative The Anou.

These help to dampen the acoustics while lime plaster assists in regulating humidity, according to Groth.

The tables are crafted from reclaimed Douglas fir flooring and stained plywood was used to build the banquette seating that wraps the perimeter.

Bar-back shelving and floors were repurposed from the unit’s previous tenant, while the bar tops were fabricated by Brooklyn Stone and Tile – another worker-owned cooperative.

Reclaimed Douglas fir tables and stained plywood banquettes — Tables are crafted from reclaimed Douglas fir

“The use of any new materials was limited to those that are natural and biodegradable, keeping in mind the holistic effects of resource extraction, human health and equity, and circular material cycles,” the Donna team said.

Pendants lights above the bar have shades made from mushroom mycelium, which according to the team presents “an environmentally holistic approach to material creation that poetically reflects Donna’s equitable business model”.

Bar with mycelium pendant lights suspended above in Donna restaurant — The pendant lights above the bar feature mycelium shades

New York City’s dining scene was upheaved during the pandemic, with many eating and drinking establishments forced to either adapt or shutter.

As a result, sidewalk dining shelters sprung up across the city, as documented in these photographs by John Tymkiw.

The photography is by Nicholas Ruiz.

Reference

Sustainable News

Creating circular raw materials by upcycling tires

By Zarkon Group,11/07/2023

Spotted: According to a 2021 study, about 1.5 billion tyres end up as waste every year. But Polish company Contec has a better idea than letting tyres go to landfill, however, and is treating used tyres as a source of valuable raw materials.

Contec uses pyrolysis to break down the vulcanised rubber in the tyres. Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process in which the shredded tyres are heated to temperatures between 400-700 degrees Celsius in an oxygen-free atmosphere. This breaks down large, vulcanised rubber molecules into smaller compounds to produce soot, gas, oil, and other chemicals.

By adapting this process, Contec is able to recover rubber and steel for reuse in new tyres, oil for use in the chemical and refining industry, and carbon black, which is used as a pigment and a filler to the mechanical strength of rubber compounds used in tyre manufacture.

Although still in the early stages, Contec has developed its process to a commercial capacity. The company recently secured zł 70 million (around €15.6 million) in funding from investors HiTech ASI, Pruszyński Sp. z o.o. and Mariusz Machciński. The funding will be used to the processing capacity of their plant from 10,000 to 33,000 tonnes of used tyres a year.

Contec is not alone in the search for a more sustainable way to manufacture and recycle tyres. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted innovations such as a bio-based carbon black and tyres made from recycled plastic.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

SLAS architekci's public park in poland is a collage of playful, green-filled shapes

Architecture

SLAS architekci’s public park is a collage of playful shapes

By Zarkon Group,11/07/2023

activity zone brings regenerative play to post-military Chorzów

Located on the site of a demolished military building in Chorzów, Poland, Activity Zone takes shape as a multifunctional public park infused with whimsical designs, vegetation, and a vibrant color palette. Polish studio SLAS Architekci completed the playful space as the first phase of the regeneration and integration of the University of Silesia with Chorzów’s urban tissue. The studio’s project was nominated for the 2022 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies Van der Rohe Award (EUMiesAward).

Activity Zone is designed as a concrete platform perforated throughout to create different flora-filled shapes to accompany the site’s existing trees, which were all preserved for this public park. Programs include a students leisure zone, children’s play devices, a fitness area, and individually designed street furniture. ‘The platform connects the diverse program, intensifies the use of the place and becomes itself an element of play,’ writes the Awards platform.

all images © Michał Kopaniszyn

slas architekci turns concrete into versatile public park

While initially catering to young students, the multifunctional public park is open to users of all age groups, inviting a proper integration of the University of Silesia‘s academic community with local inhabitants and the surrounding nature. Being part of a post-military, wooded, and neglected neighborhood area, Activity Zone brings back life to Chorzów by attracting frequent visits, gradually transforming an abandoned place into a safe park.

The concrete platform is an accessible feature for disabled people and opens up room for activities like biking, rollerblading, and skateboarding. In addition, the perforation allows SLAS architekci (see more here) to accommodate all these different programs while preserving each existing tree to provide shade and prevent overheating. Enhancing the sensory experience, the platform is enriched with a rich palette of colors, textures, and scents, creating a vivid garden amid the neglected area. All proposed materials ( concrete, steel, wood, tree bark, and sports rubber surface) are durable, easy to maintain, and affordable. You can see the complete list of 2022 nominees by visiting the EUMiesAward website.

a collage of playful shapes, textures, and colors

turning a post-military, neglected area into an active, green space for all age groups

Activity Zone park by SLAS architekci is part of a regeneration program for the University of Silesia

carving shapes from the concrete platform and filling them with vegetation

materials include concrete, steel, wood, tree bark and sports rubber surface

SLAS architekci looks to gradually turn the difficult neighborhood into a safe public park

Reference

Republique apartment by Hauvette & Madani features red kitchen

Interior Design

Wine-red kitchen forms centrepiece of apartment by Hauvette & Madani

By Zarkon Group,10/07/2023

Interior design studio Hauvette & Madani has made a sumptuous wine-red kitchen the focus of this otherwise neutral apartment in Paris.

The Republique apartment is set within a typical Haussmann-era building in the French capital’s 11th arrondissement and belongs to a family with two children.

From the outset of the renovation, the clients called for the home to orbit around a “spectacular” atmospheric kitchen.

Hauvette & Madani responded by using a striking colour scheme, rendering all of the kitchen’s linoleum cabinets and its curved breakfast island in a wine-red colour. The same shade was also applied to the ceiling but in a glossy lacquer.

“We wanted a dark but joyful colour and ended up deciding on this substantial red,” founders Samantha Hauvette and Lucas Madani told Dezeen. “We also love the fact [the colour’s] eccentricity matches the rest of the calm and soft apartment.”

Living room interior of Republique apartment by Hauvette & Madani — Spaces are connected by travertine-framed doorways

Lustrous decorative elements such as an aged-mirror splashback and brass light were also introduced to the space, and a support column was wrapped in stainless steel.

The room’s original wooden flooring was overlaid with travertine and Emperador marble tiling.

A travertine-framed doorway looks through to the adjacent living room, where walls were painted an oatmeal beige, matching a bean-shaped velvet sofa from French brand Pierre Augustin Rose.

A pair of wriggly-edged oak coffee tables and a terracotta-coloured edition of French designer Pierre Paulin’s Ribbon chair were also used to dress the space.

The dining room next door is centred by an oval travertine table, around which steel-framed leather seats have been arranged. At the rear of the room is a tall white dresser inset with oak-lined niches where ornaments or artworks can be displayed.

A Murano glass chandelier hangs from the ceiling, where ornate moulding was carefully preserved.

Dining room interior of Republique apartment by Hauvette & Madani — The nearby dining room has a travertine table at its centre

The project also saw Hauvette & Madani refresh the parents’ bedroom, which now features 1930s-style lighting and a bespoke oak headboard. This winds around the back of the room and has arched cut-outs that accommodate bedside tables.

A walnut-wood vanity cabinet and vintage Italian mirror were also fitted in its en-suite bathroom.

Bedroom interior of Republique apartment by Hauvette & Madani — A bespoke oak headboard was installed in the parents’ bedroom

Often considered the heart of the home, the kitchen is where architects and designers enjoy getting playful with colour.

Other examples include the kitchen inside Sans-Arc Studio’s Plaster Fun House, where a pink terrazzo breakfast island contrasts duck egg-blue cabinetry.

And the kitchen within this Belgian apartment by Carmine Van Der Linden and Thomas Geldof features birch wood cupboards that were stained a murky hue of green.

The photography is by Yannick Labrousse.

Reference

Sustainable News

Microbes turn harmful methane into soil nutrients

By Zarkon Group,10/07/2023

Spotted: The move to get to net zero is often focused heavily on CO2, but methane, which has an 84-86 times higher global warming potential than CO2 in a 20-year period, is also rapidly accumulating in the Earth’s atmosphere. One reason for the increase in methane levels is that conventional agriculture practices have degraded soil health, causing a loss of naturally occurring, methane-digesting microbes.

A solution being developed by agritech startup Windfall Bio involves capturing methane and transforming it into living organic fertiliser. Windfall Bio uses a proprietary, nature-based technology to capture methane and use it to enrich methane-eating microbes that are found in soils. These organisms consume the methane, while also capturing nitrogen from the air, and transform these naturally into organic fertiliser.

Windfall Bio’s process takes place on-site, allowing agricultural enterprises such as farms and dairies to transform waste emissions into high-value organic fertiliser. This can either be used directly or sold to organic farms to generate new revenue streams.

The company recently announced it raised $9 million (around €8.3 million) in a seed round led by Mayfield and venture fund Untitled, with participation from additional investors. The capital raised will be used to begin pilot deployments on farms and to accelerate research and development (R&D) activities. Windfall Bio plans to enter broad commercial deployment soon.

There is growing concern about the role of methane in global warming. Luckily, this concern is beginning to be met with new innovations aimed at reducing methane levels. In the archive, Springwise has spotted the use of seaweed to tackle methane emissions from cattle and a plant that turns manure – a major source of methane – into biogas.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Architecture

Atelier-r refreshes neo-gothic church with angular black extension

By Zarkon Group,10/07/2023

Czech studio Atelier-r has refreshed the Red Church in Olomouc, the Czech Republic, adding an angular matte-black extension and public spaces informed by neo-gothic design.

The renovated church, along with the added black volume, holds an information centre and cafe as well as an events venue designed to host small concerts and exhibitions.

Built in 1902, the original church was closed to the public and has been used as a private storage space for the library next to the site for the past sixty years.

Despite its poor condition, Atelier-r aimed to open up the listed building for public use, opting to partially reconstruct the church and add an extension that reflects the existing structure’s neo-gothic style.

Exterior photo of Cerveny Kostel — The extension is an angular structure

“The building itself was preserved as a whole but in a very poor condition,” studio founder Miroslav Pospíšil told Dezeen. “We had to do a complete makeover with maximum effort to retain the original elements.”

“We designed the renovation with deep respect to the neo-gothic atmosphere of the place,” he added. “First, it was necessary to strengthen the foundations, mend the damp and salty masonry, repair the stucco and plaster, and tidy up and fill the gaps in the facade cladding,

“The floors were a complete redo, including the layers all the way down to the terrain base.”

Photo of the library at Cerveny Kostel — The extension contains a library

Due to damaged trusses, the studio entirely reconstructed the roof of the church, cladding it in copper squares that resemble the concrete tiles of the original roof.

Modern decorative elements created by local sculptor Jan Dostal were added to the roof to replace the original damaged features.

Photo of the church — The extension connects directly to the 20th-century church

“The original roof was clad in asbestos cement tiles, but it is a very fragile material and most of them were damaged by falling ice from the church tower,” said Pospíšil.

“So we decided to use copper tiles of the same size as the original ones,” he continued. “Copper’s colour changes gradually to a dark grey colour, which will be very similar to asbestos cement tiles in a couple of years.”

Inside the church, exposed brick structural elements stand out against white walls, while a large ring-shaped lighting fixture is suspended over rows of chairs. A raised platform at the end of the building holds a sculptural arrangement of staggered bookshelves.

To hold additional spaces, including a reception and a cafe, Atelier-r added a new structure between the church and library, connecting it to both existing buildings with glazed walkways.

Photo of the interior — The shape of the extension was informed by the form of the church

Surrounded by a patio area with outdoor seating, the building features a roof and walls made from black aluminium and has an angular form informed by the geometry of the church.

“The crystal-like mass of the annex responds to the neo-Gothic form of the church; it derives from its geometric shape, volume, and layout, ” said Pospíšil. “The floor plan is a cut-out of the part of the church floor plan, only moved outside of the original platform.”

Interior image of the library — The interior has a pink concrete floor

Entering through a glass door set within walls of full-height glazing, guests are met by a double-height cafe and reception space finished with a pastel pink concrete floor.

To one side of the room, a tall accent wall featuring shelves filled with old books acts as the centrepiece of the space, while a glass lighting fixture by Lambert & Fils hangs over the dining tables.

Photo of a reception desk — A reception desk was constructed from pink concrete

“The elegant and minimalist glass elements float in the air, suspended on the nylon ropes high above the visitors’ heads,” said the studio. “If you look at them from specific angles, they reflect the houses in the street or the church.”

At the back of the space, a pink concrete reception desk reflects the angular form of the building and sits beneath a bespoke lighting feature that follows the shape of the desk.

Designed in collaboration with local interior design practice Denisa Strmiskova Studio, the interior spaces across the new and existing building feature chairs made from walnut wood, as well as coffee tables that draw upon the traditional design of the church.

A storage space branches from the main hall, featuring a wall of black lockers and a cloakroom set behind a blocky pink counter.

An additional accent wall of shelves is arranged around the large opening to the space, providing further storage for the old books from the library.

Other renovated churches recently featured on Dezeen include a cathedral in Manhattan that Ennead Architects has refreshed with a copper dome and a community hub added to a 19th-century church.

The photography is by BoysPlayNice.

Reference

Monolithic New York museum pavilion features “perfect cube” gallery

Klein Dytham Architecture gives Fender flagship store a welcoming feel

AI and remote sensing technology for managing water risk

Is Demand Set to Grow for Architects Specialized in Green Roof Design and Renovation?

Improving the Quality of Life for City Dwellers

Barcelona Living Terrace Roofs and Green Roofs Initiative

The Expansion of the Green Roof Market

Michael Groth uses natural and recycled materials inside Donna restaurant

Creating circular raw materials by upcycling tires

SLAS architekci’s public park is a collage of playful shapes

activity zone brings regenerative play to post-military Chorzów

slas architekci turns concrete into versatile public park

Wine-red kitchen forms centrepiece of apartment by Hauvette & Madani

Microbes turn harmful methane into soil nutrients

Atelier-r refreshes neo-gothic church with angular black extension

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