News

Released: 19. 3. 2008
Released in: ASB, Miroslava Lacinová

The reconstruction and building annex of the former Magdalene Order premises was awarded the 2007 title ‚Building of the Year‘. The reconstruction respects the previous construction development‘s stages and fluently ties together with them. The newly built parts can be clearly distinguished from the historical phases, while preserving their own specific expression. The simple geometry of the exterior gives an almost monastery-like, austere impression. The use of materials and the finish of details creates, especially in the interior, a sense of uniqueness and luxury. The annex of the premises does not create a homogeneous entity, but underlines the heterogeneity of the premises given by their multifarious architectural development. On the whole, the premises give a single impression, and not one that would court popularity.

The premises of the former monastery buildings were created through an early baroque adaptation of older Renaissance Prague houses. The State Securities Printer was located in the monastery premises until the 1990‘s. The complex of buildings is enlisted as a Czech cultural monument and at the same time it is included in the Prague Monument Reserve. Located in the historical development, this at first glance discreet set of buildings, surrounded by a high baroque wall, opens through the main entrance gate at the corner of Nebovická and Harantova streets. Although the main gate, which also serves as a driveway, is not original, it entirely fits into the context of the other entrances. In the whole adaptation context, it stands as a quite uncommon example of how new elements were designed as historical copies. The repetition of the expression of the original gates in the design of the main entrance was the only aesthetically acceptable solution. The concept of the building annex stemmed from the historical connections of the premises. It was formed based on the prepared background papers – a list of authentic features as well as research into the construction‘s history and renovation. After the clearing of the site by demolishing the worthless annexes from the mid 20th century, the realization of the elaborate plan began. An acceptable compromise was chosen in which the construction volume did not exceed an acceptable level while adhering to the anticipated plan of preserving the valued stages of the construction site’s development. Alongside house No. 388, a new annex of two underground and three above-the-ground floors was built. Houses Nos. 459 and 387 were joined together by an underground corridor – a tunnel. The southern wing, dating back to 1923, was left untouched. The original height solution of levels of all the buildings on the site was acknowledged. The entrance court with its high-grown trees evokes the atmosphere of palace courts in Malá Strana. The atrium, attached to the pair of newly built low court wings, is dominated by a central water feature, reminding us of the central paradise courts‘ motifs – the fountains. In its historical part, the original arrangements are respected, even at the expense of their commercially less effective use. The hotel complex was gradually built from February 2004 till July 2006. The reconstruction and construction of the premises‘ annex is a successful example of a symbiotic existence of historical and modern buildings, without breaching the self-contained impression of monastery premises. For a sacred building complex, which had been constructed and adapted in many phases over the centuries, the building annex is a truly worthy building site, which will deserve the respect of future generations.

Construction

Name: Hotel Karmelitská – Mandarin Oriental, Prague
Place: Prague 1 – Malá Strana, Nebovidská No. 459 and Karmelitská No. 387
Definition: reconstruction and annex building
Investor: Karmelitská hotel s. r. o.
Architect: Ing. arch. Petr Brzobohatý, Ing. arch. Martin Feistner, Ing. arch. Jiří Hůrka, Ing. arch. Vítězslava Rothbauerová Atelier Dům a Město – association of architects
Authors‘ Supervision during
Construction: Ing. arch. Jiří Hůrka, Ing. arch. Vítězslava Rothbauerová
Design Consultant: City Design International, s. r. o., Ing. arch. Otto Dvořák
Project Planner: AED PROJECT a. s., Ing. Zbyněk Ransdorf, Ing. Ivo Karlický
Design,
Interior Design: KCA International Londýn, Sporer Plus Stuttgart, CM Design, Deckelmann
Begun: February 2004
To Be Finished: July 2006
Function: original: monastery, police barracks, printing house, contemporary: hotel
General Supplier: Metrostav a. s., division 9
Engineering: APIS a. s. Praha