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Functionalist Apartment, Prague

Functionalist Apartment, Prague

Prague, Czechia

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Functionalist Apartment, Prague

Prague, Czechia

Firm

Martin Cenek Architecture

Type

Residential › Apartment

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

0 sqft - 1000 sqft

BUDGET

$50K - 100K

I believe that even an architect's own home is a project with many limitations, especially when it comes to renovation. My apartment is located in a building from the late 1930s, an honest embodiment of architectural modernism, a classic Prague tenement house from that era, with a tiled facade and small apartments, designed by architect Ladislav Šimek and built by his brother Jaroslav. And as it is probably the case with the saying "the shoemaker's children go barefoot", the reconstruction of the apartment into its final form took almost 10 years.

The questions I asked myself during the process of renovation were mainly focused on the conflict between preserving the strong spirit of the place and the degree of embodying the imprint of my own identity and invention. Which should the winner be? How to find a balance? Can anything prevail? Isn't the conclusion that the user naturally succumbs and adapts to the soul of the existing building, which he only slightly supplements or modifies with his work and presence?

„At its apex, a passion for architecture may turn us into aesthetes, eccentric figures who must watch over their houses with the vigilance of museum guards, patrolling their rooms in search of stains, a damp cloth or sponge in hand.“ (Alain de Botton, The architecture of Happiness)

Execution of a complete renovation of my own apartment in a functionalist apartment building in Prague's New Town. Both the house and the apartment itself have retained many of the original elements from the time of its construction, i.e. the late 1930s, however, the apartment was already in poor technical condition and for the new use, a complete modification was necessary, including a change in the layout. The main aim was to preserve as many of the original features as possible, to refurbish them and add a contemporary layer.

A complete architectural "update" was carried out including all technical equipment of the apartment, floor construction, all surfaces, etc. It was decided to expose and clean the reinforced concrete ceiling in the living room (otherwise covered with soffit and plaster) and make it an original artistic element. The original windows, doors and all their respective fittings were renovated, the original oak parquet flooring replaced with an exact replica. The layout change consists mainly in the new use of the original kitchen and the complete demolition of the original pantry and bathroom, which were replaced by a new inserted furniture block containing storage spaces, a hidden generous bathroom and part of the kitchen. This new layer uses traditional materials (a combination of stained oak veneers and white lacquer), but in a completely new way, where a totally clean, minimalist new space is to be created. Great care has been taken in the appropriate combinations of original elements and details from the 1930s and new design pieces of furniture and accessories, as well as the choice of materials for all the new - custom-designed - built-in furniture, which determines the use of the spaces and their articulation.

Photos: Alex Shoots Buildings, 2023

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Functionalist Apartment, Prague

Prague, Czechia

Other Projects by Martin Cenek Architecture

Interiors of three houses near Obora Hvezda

Complex of residential houses Libocká

Apartment Building Kapitulská

Three Row Houses in Liboc

House on the outskirts of Prague

Functionalist Apartment, Prague

Prague, Czechia

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team

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Functionalist Apartment, Prague

Prague, Czechia

Other Projects by Martin Cenek Architecture

Interiors of three houses near Obora Hvezda

Complex of residential houses Libocká

Apartment Building Kapitulská

Three Row Houses in Liboc

House on the outskirts of Prague

Functionalist Apartment, Prague

Prague, Czechia

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team