A block of flats has its own scale

A small change with a big impact. This is how one could sum up the elegant refurbishment of a block of flats in Hostivař. Mrs Ditrychová is the chairwoman of the homeowners’ association in Prague 10. She and other neighbours were thinking how their housing could be improved. As a result, the loggias have been extended from one to two metres. Each apartment now has one continuous loggia instead of two smaller ones, which were less practical. The apartment owners chose whether they wanted to lower the parapet, whether they wanted direct access to the garden and also what materials they preferred for the loggia floor. Apart from the demolition of some apartment parapets, the original structure remained intact. The result then allows for additional glass to be fitted. The loggias naturally connect the interior with the exterior.

It is still rare to see the tasteful refurbishment of prefabricated apartment buildings in this country. The renovation of the façade and the addition of new loggias to a block of flats in Prague's Hostivař district shows that there are more options available than the standard insulation with colourful facades. "The main thing is not to deny that it is a prefabricated block of flats and to build on its strengths. I'm not ashamed of living in a panel apartment building. Forget those tired old comparisons to rabbit hutches! A block of flats has its own scale, repetitiveness and, above all, a structure that can be worked with efficiently when making structural alterations, not to mention that it offers the potential for modification and extension. Just remember the lofty ambitions of the functionalists, make use of the latest technology and you can work wonders!" says architect Ondřej Synek.

The refurbishment of the apartment building, designed by re:architects, cost CZK 5 million, which works out at CZK 300,000 per unit. Everything was covered by the repair fund.

Accommodation in a military pillbox

The cabin is a small building, 12 square metres in size. In 2017, architect Jan Tyrpekl built it with his own hands on a former military bunker, or pillbox, in the fields near Vratěnín in the Znojmo region. The cabin was built from waste materials and cost a mere CZK 50,000. However, it attracted a great deal of attention from the general public and the professional community and was listed as a finalist for a Czech Architecture Award in 2018.

"The first version of the Cabin was nearing the end of its life after three years. It was made entirely from planks, with the same profile used for both the structure and the façade. We’ve therefore decided to build Cabin 2.0., which will be the same size, but fully insulated," says Jan Tyrpekl.

The original shape remains, but the construction and materials of the new building are better quality. The material used in the openings have also changed—the former polycarbonate sheets have been replaced with double glazing. All the windows are fixed to reduce costs; ventilation is provided by a hatch in the floor and a hidden vent under the roof. Inside there is a stove, two sleeping platforms and two armchairs. It can comfortably accommodate four people. The energy for the LED lighting is provided by a solar panel. But there is no running water.

The building façade consists of untreated and unplaned larch planks, which will gradually turn grey and subtly blend in with the surrounding countryside. You can rent the cabin on Airbnb, and several dozen people sleep there every year.

A roof for all

Up to 40% of Prague's population lives in housing estates. Their regeneration is therefore a huge challenge. The dilapidated complex in Prosek has undergone extensive renovations designed by the architects of the XTOPIX studio and Jan Karásek, which have transformed it into the modern Knoflík cultural and family centre. The central part of the building consists of a stairway hall with sanitary facilities. The façade has been transformed into a huge artistic mural, done by Michal Škapa as part of the Art for the City programme. The extension contains two larger halls, while the other side offers smaller rehearsal rooms and classrooms for extracurricular activities. The north wing has been given a distinctive expanded-metal façade with tall windows, clearly distinguishing the original housing-estate building from the new modern extension.

However, the flagship of the transformation is the roof, which is now the new square. The roof terrace offers sunny and shady spots with canopies where visitors can take shelter from the rain. One of them covers a large children's play area with toys. In the warmer months, the roof becomes an enclosed, supervised playground for parents with children, but also for visitors who want to sit and enjoy some peace and quiet with friends. The roof hosts all kinds of events - from regular children's parties, concerts, outdoor sleepovers, yoga and dance classes, to author readings, exhibitions and a summer cinema.

The Creative refurbishment of a creative hub

Old buildings can tell new stories. KUMST is a creative centre in Brno that promotes the growth of small and medium-sized local companies. It can be found at Údolní 19 in a functionalist house dating back to 1929, designed by architect Vinzenz Baier for the German Technical University. It used to house an academic canteen, the university administrative building and a scientific cinema. From the 1990s, the building was used by the Brno University of Technology’s Faculty of Fine Arts, but that moved in 2016. The space was taken over by the South Moravian Innovation Centre and the Creative Hub, covering a usable area of 2,700 square metres and containing workplaces, meeting rooms and event facilities, opened in September 2021.

The refurbishment of the space, headed up by the KOGAA studio, was divided into stages to enable it to be used as soon as possible. Due to budget constraints, most of the surfaces and infrastructure remained untouched. Most of all, the architects removed any inappropriate materials and cleaned the building right down to the foundations. One example for all - the glass-block skylight that let natural light into the building was previously covered by a plasterboard ceiling. That was removed during the renovation work, with the ceiling opened up and restored to its original state. The travertine columns in the main hall and the travertine cladding in the entrance hall have also been preserved. The renovated building now includes a showroom for local artists, a café, a large event hall, shared conference rooms and three floors of studios, ateliers and coworking spaces for the creative community. The façade had already been completely refurbished. KOGAA merely added a distinctive inscription, designed by the Pixle graphics studio. However, you can also sit in the two outdoor courtyards.

A Hospital as a jigsaw

Difficult times call for quick solutions. The Czech Republic's first modular hospital was opened in Karviná during the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-storey extension was literally built in a matter of months. It took only nine months from signing the contract with the contractor through to completion, while the actual construction on site took less than three months. The structure consists of 77 modified containers, connected to the main hospital building by a linking corridor on the ground floor and the second floor. The ground floor houses the orthopaedic, spinal surgery, anaesthesiology, and prosthetics outpatient clinics. The first floor contains the follow-up care unit, which took in patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic, while the upper floor is home to the orthopaedics department. The building was designed and planned by the petit atelier architectural studio. The hospital was built by KOMA MODULAR.

The exterior of the building is a sober combination of white and grey plaster, accentuating the window openings and suggesting the structural division into individual modules. The façade is brightened up by a playful window arrangement together with distinctive staircases at both ends of the building. The building is designed to be low-energy and is ready for a possible fourth floor extension. "This is a very efficient way of constructing hospital buildings. Our patients were able to use the building about two years earlier than if we had constructed it using the conventional method, which accelerated the return on investment," says Tomáš Canibal, director of the Karviná Mining Hospital.