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ORA creates modern home in 500-year-old Czech Renaissance building

Czech architecture studio ORA has renovated a Renaissance-era house in the town of Český Krumlov, preserving original features like its carved wooden beams while adding free-standing contemporary furniture.

Local entrepreneurs Petra Hanáková and Radek Techlovský purchased the dilapidated house in the town centre in 2016 and asked ORA to oversee a modernisation process that retains the interior’s historical character.

Exterior of Masná 130 house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — Masná 130 is a renovated home by ORA in Český Krumlov

The 500-year-old building, now called Masná 130, had been neglected for decades and was not even connected to the town’s sewage system. It also had flood-damaged foundations and a roof in need of major repairs.

Despite its issues, the owners saw potential in the property and spent two years transforming its ground floor into a cafe that has become a gathering place for the local community.

Entrance of Masná 130 house — The architects added bespoke furniture made from dark-stained birch plywood

The latest phase of the project involved renovating the first-floor living spaces. The original intention was to redevelop them as rental flats, but Hanáková and Techlovský eventually decided to create a single apartment that they could occupy themselves.

ORA’s design for the apartment reveals aspects of the building’s past while introducing modern features that reflect the owners’ love for contemporary design and minimalist style.

Living room of house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — The building’s original carved wooden ceiling beams are left exposed

“We did not want to create a historical ‘museum’ interior, nor a design showroom,” said Hanáková and Techlovský. “We wanted to organically connect the historical and contemporary layers.”

The architects began by removing an existing partition wall in the main living space and reinstating the original open layout. This created a large salon that reveals the full splendour of the Renaissance-era wooden ceiling.

Kitchen of Masná 130 house — The kitchen was designed as a standalone unit that is raised above the floor

The restoration process also uncovered original stone walls that were painted a deep crimson colour. Together with the wooden rafters, this informed a material palette that complements these dark, saturated tones and creates a cosy atmosphere.

The apartment’s bedroom features a small remnant of the original ceiling fresco. The rest of the room is painted a cream colour to lend the space a calm and relaxing feel.

In the bathroom, ORA chose to combine cool colours with white tiles and large mirrors to brighten the space. Playful details such as the irregularly shaped bathtub, curved sinks and tiles with rounded edges help to soften the overall aesthetic.

Throughout the apartment, the architects added bespoke freestanding furniture that performs the necessary functions without disturbing or concealing the existing heritage features.

View to bedroom of house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — The bed is dominated by an oversized headboard

“The interior design is approached as a collage of motifs,” said ORA. “The furniture is inserted into the historical space in the form of separate objects that create distance from the historical elements.”

The kitchen, for example, was designed as a standalone unit that is raised above the floor and stops well short of the ceiling. Its sink, hob and countertop occupy a central void, with all other functions concealed within the cabinetry.

Bedroom of Masná 130 house — It takes pride of place in the centre of the bedroom

The bed features an oversized headboard that connects with a wardrobe on its reverse side. It is placed in the centre of the bedroom and is angled to provide the best view of the window and the original painted ceiling.

Custom-made furniture is built from dark-stained birch plywood with contrasting brass legs that help to enhance the sense of separation from the existing spaces.

Lighting is either freestanding or integrated into furniture such as the kitchen unit and bed. An overhead light above the dining table is mounted on a bracket so it does not touch the historical ceiling.

Bathroom of house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — ORA combined cool colours with white tiles in the bathroom

ORA, which stands for Original Regional Architecture, was founded in 2014 by Jan Veisser, Jan Hora and Barbora Hora. The studio is based in the small town of Znojmo, with previous projects including the conversion of a 16th-century home in Mikulov to create a modern guesthouse.

Other recent attempts at revamping the historical residences of the Czech Republic include a 1920s villa in Prague that was renovated by No Architects and a 100-year-old apartment in Karlovy Vary, where Plus One Architects uncovered the building’s original paintwork.

The photography is by BoysPlayNice.

Reference

Interior Design

Plus One Architects uncovers paintwork of century-old Czech apartment

By Zarkon Group,24/01/2024

Prague studio Plus One Architects has restored the “original splendour” of this 1902 apartment in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, by reinstating some of its original features.

Located in a turn-of-the-century apartment block, the two-bedroom flat was renovated by Plus One Architects, who exposed the original paintwork present on the walls and ceilings.

Living room with patchy brown and beige paintwork — The Karlovy Vary Apartment features minimal furnishings

The studio also streamlined the circulation inside the apartment by removing doors to open up pathways, as well as undoing dated additions that had been installed over the top of the original walls and floors.

“We think the first renovation was probably done in the late 70s,” architect Kateřina Průchová told Dezeen. “It was full of wooden cladding on the walls, a lot of doors and carpet that covered the original floors.”

Corridor with flaky pink paintwork — Transom windows let light flood through the rooms

The revamped interior has a bright, airy atmosphere, as natural sunlight comes in through the large unobstructed windows and continues deeper into the rooms thanks to the addition of transom windows on some of the interior walls.

Remnants of colourful mottled paintwork appear on the walls and ceilings alongside brown and beige sections of plaster.

Chair in front of mottled painted wall — Mottled blue and yellow paintwork decorates the primary bedroom

Neutral-coloured paint and plasterwork feature in the kitchen and living room, where Plus One Architects retained the apartment’s original masonry heater clad in glossy brown tiles.

Painted details are also apparent on the ceiling, with concentric bands of red, blue and yellow delineating the perimeter of the room.

Doors were removed to improve the flow between spaces

Pink paint appears in the corridor and smaller bedroom while blue paintwork can be seen in the primary bedroom, complementing the restored wooden floorboards.

In the bathroom, white tiling lines the walls, interspersed with iridescent tiles and sections of exposed paintwork.

The rooms are sparingly furnished, allowing the paintwork to be the interior’s focal point.

Plus One Architects brought in furniture with minimalist forms by Czech design studio Janský & Dunděra alongside decorative pieces from local design brand Todus.

Photograph showing sink in bathroom with round mirror above — The bathroom is fitted with white flooring, tiling and fixtures

“I hope we managed to return the apartment to the original splendour of the period, in which the house was built,” said Průchová.

“You can feel how the building looks from the outside – it is an old house in the historic part of a spa town.”

Round dining table and chairs in front of open window in narrow room — The kitchen and dining room overlook neighbouring rooftops

Kateřina Průchová and Petra Ciencialová founded Plus One Architects in 2019. The studio is based in Prague and works on projects across the Czech Republic.

Other apartment interiors that have recently been featured on Dezeen include a home in Milan centred around a monolithic green marble partition wall and a pastel-decorated apartment in Kraków.

The photography is by Radek Úlehla.

Reference

Architecture

byró restores authenticity & infuses light into barn in czech republic

By Zarkon Group,23/04/2023

BYRÓ restores blacksmith barn

A reconstruction of a reconstruction, Blacksmith Barn by BYRÓ revives a deteriorating cottage in the quiet valley in Pošumaví, Czech Republic, back to its original value. With a sustainable approach and respect for the site’s natural surroundings, the architectural office utilized local resources to uplift and connect the former blacksmith’s workshop and home. Further, the interior of the adjoining, relatively well-preserved wood and brick barn has been opened up and illuminated using only subtle interventions to maintain yet enhance the historical authenticity of the structure.

view from the sawmill | all images courtesy of the author

minimal interventions using local resources

Located in an unspoilt area in a valley by the Blanice River, the building’s only neighbors are the ruins of a former mill, an active sawmill, and the silence of the surrounding pastures. As per the client’s requests, the architects at BYRÓ predominantly used materials that were available at the plot where possible to carry on the renovation, eliminating the inconsistent elements due to previous insensitive interventions.

The barn next to the cottage, which was found in an unaffected state though with an interior stacked all the way to the ridge, was opened up and infused with light. The architects removed the unfinished belt dormer installed in the 1990s and replaced it with lighting roof tiles that bring in a dynamic interplay of light and shade throughout the day.

BYRÓ restores Blacksmith Barn in Pošumaví, Czech Republic

the architects removed the unfinished belt dormer installed in the 1990s and replaced it with lighting roof tiles

using local materials the structure is an interplay of wood, brick, and stone

Reference

Architecture

Les Archinautes and 3AE create Lipno Lakeside Cabin in Czech Republic

By Zarkon Group,31/10/2022

Timber interiors and larch cladding reference the surrounding Bohemian Forest at this pared-back cabin in the Czech Republic, designed by French practice Les Archinautes in collaboration with local practice 3AE.

Overlooking Lipno lake close to the Czech Republic’s border with Germany and Austria, the cross-laminated timber (CLT) cabin was designed to provide a rest stop for people who come to ski and hike in the nearby mountain ranges.

Exterior image of Lipno Lakeside Cabin surrounded by forest — Lipno Lakeside Cabin is a cabin in the Czech Republic

Informed by a wooden dwelling that once stood on the site, the cabin’s simple design drew from the architecture typical to the area, which Lyon-based Les Archinautes describes as “wooden, compact and cozy.”

“The morphology of the house stands on several principles of Bohemian Forest architecture: rectangular floor plan, compact shape, orientation along the contour line, creation of a covered porch and more pronounced articulation of the gable,” said the practice.

Exterior image of the facade of Lipno Lakeside Cabin with views of the interior — It has been clad in larch planks

Clad in thin larch planks, the cabin is raised on a low wooden platform, which extends to create a terrace along two sides of the home sheltered by the oversized eaves of the roof.

Seeking to bring the surrounding forest into the cabin as a “material, smell, and colour,” the CLT structure has been left exposed throughout the interiors, which are organised to capture views of the landscape.

The focal point of the cabin is the ground floor living and dining space, where a large table, kitchen counters and concrete fireplace sit underneath wooden beams and overlook the lake through a large square window.

Alongside this space, the main ground-floor bedroom and two smaller first-floor bedrooms tucked beneath the roof capture glimpses of the forest and mountains through skylights and small, round windows in each gable end.

Interior image of the timber-lined dining area at Lipno Lakeside Cabin and its lakeside views — The interior of the cabin was similarly clad in timber

“The view of Lipno lake, with two major peaks in the background, becomes the main point of the project, centred around the dominant gabled square window facing toward the lake,” said the practice.

“Wooden walls in the interior create a pleasant and warm atmosphere. The exposed wood is painted with hard wax oil, white pigment and a UV filter, ensuring the wood retains its fresh colour for decades to come,” it continued.

Interior image of the upper level of the wooden cabin — It was designed by Les Archinautes in collaboration with 3AE

Complementing the exposed CLT walls and ceilings, the minimal interiors are finished with oak flooring, simple light fittings and white tilework in the bathrooms.

Elsewhere in the Czech Republic, architecture studio Atelier SAD and interior designer Iveta Zachariášová recently completed a cork-clad home set in a rural landscape and local studio KLAR created a V-shaped timber house in the Czech countryside.

Photography is by Petr Polak.

Reference

Interior Design

Matteo Thun draws on Czech art heritage for design of The Julius Prague

By Zarkon Group,14/09/2022

Italian architect Matteo Thun looked to the work of Czech artists Alphonse Mucha and František Kupka for the interior design of this Prague hotel, which features pastel colours and natural materials.

Located in an art deco building in the city centre, The Julius Prague has apartment suites with kitchenettes as well as smaller hotel rooms that were designed to have the feel of a home-away-from-home.

A hotel room at The Julius Prague — Matteo Thun used soft colours for the guest rooms at The Julius Prague

“In exploring new forms of living, we had to think about how to create that home-away-from-home feeling – providing privacy and independence, whilst also offering flexible communal spaces such as co-working areas, meeting rooms, and open lounges,” Thun told Dezeen.

“The rooms are designed as apartments, and the public areas are conceived as an extension of the rooms.”

Conservatory in courtyard of Czech hotel — Rooms overlook a central courtyard

The interior design of the colourful hotel was influenced by the way in which Czech Art Noveau painter Alphonse Mucha and Czech abstract painter František Kupka used colours.

Mucha’s soft, pastel hues were used for the guest rooms, many of which overlook a central courtyard with a light-filled conservatory, while Thun looked to Kupka’s brighter colour palette for the communal areas.

Restaurant with rust-coloured chairs — The hotel’s lighting was informed by bohemian glass work

“Inspired by Mucha’s work, we selected a pared-back palette and pastel hues for the guest rooms, working with natural materials and soft textiles to create a calming and welcoming atmosphere,” Thun said.

“Meanwhile in the communal areas we chose a more vibrant colour palette, drawing on Kupka’s abstract pieces, for a more energetic atmosphere,” he added.

“For lighting, we were inspired by the bohemian art glass work, emitting a warm ambient glow.”

Green walls and orange chairs in hotel restaurant — More vibrant colours were used in the communal areas

Tactile natural materials were used throughout the hotel, including in the bathrooms, which are clad in a striking marble-effect ceramic tile.

“We used ceramic tiles with a marble effect from a leading Italian tile producer for the floorings of the public areas and the kitchens and bathrooms of the residences,” Thun said.

“We love to work with natural materials and have used oak-flooring for the serviced residences, featuring spacious living environments with open kitchen and generous smart-working spaces,” he added.

“Throughout The Julius, custom-made furniture and pieces ensure every space arouses curiosity.”

Bathroom interior at The Julius Prague — Bathrooms were clad in ceramic tiles with a marble effect

The Julius Prague is the first hotel from the Julius Meinl family, a gourmet-food retailer and manufacturer based in Vienna that Thun has previously worked with.

“We have enjoyed a rewarding relationship over the last 15 years and their flair continues to be invaluable in channelling design towards authentic, novel and inspirational projects,” Thun said.

A wall with small potted plants and a bench — The hotel was designed as a “home-away-from-home”

“In this case we have contributed our experience to their first hospitality project, designing a timeless scheme in tune with new expectations: a contextually aware nomadic way of living,” he added.

Other recent projects in Prague include a pop-up market with a turquoise scaffolding design and a spa with curved-cement walls and glass detailing.

The photography is by Gionata Xerra.

Reference

czech

ORA creates modern home in 500-year-old Czech Renaissance building

Plus One Architects uncovers paintwork of century-old Czech apartment

byró restores authenticity & infuses light into barn in czech republic

BYRÓ restores blacksmith barn

minimal interventions using local resources

Les Archinautes and 3AE create Lipno Lakeside Cabin in Czech Republic

Matteo Thun draws on Czech art heritage for design of The Julius Prague

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