Let’s take the example of Corso Karlín, which I consider a very successful reconstruction and super-structure. This work comes from the studio of the famous Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill and is located perpendicularly to Křižíkova Street. A reconstruction of an industrial building into an office building is a masterstroke. In short, the author placed a simple glass box onto the existing but reconstructed matter. The glass block pleasantly parasitizes on the old building and moves it in a good way into the 21st century. Technically and operationally, it is a four-storey building with 9 900 m2, realized in 2001. The building received „Best of Realty 2001“ and “Stavba Roku 2001” awards. At present, Bofill returns to Karlín with his project II. We will see, if it is as successful as the first project.
Karlín is separated from the Vltava by a road, along which several interesting buildings, which I would like to mention, have lately been built.
Inspired by water and gems
There are two absolutely beautiful administration buildings which audaciously compete and redress the reputation of the place mutilated by the shameful hotel Atrium-Hilton. These are the Danube House and Nile House from the project River City Prague.
The Danube House by the London Company KPF and Prague office A.D.N.S. form a triangular dynamic keel or a fin on the bank of the Vltava. It is faced with red sandstone and the matter is pervaded by a huge multifunctional atrium. It is connected with Karlín itself through a footbridge over a four-lane road. The building offers 20, 000 m2 of office space and 1, 250 m2 for services, shops, a restaurant or a cafe.
The Nile House is of a similar shape with a large atrium, which only has a grey facade. The authors are the same. In the winter, it serves as a passive thermal buffer, in the summer it disperses superfluous heat. A unique feature is also a twenty-two metre high spiral staircase made of stainless steel and glass. In order for the light structure of the roof to keep the required shape after the installation of glasses, one of which weighs up to 500 kilograms, the roof was posttensioned by means of facade drawbars. Thanks to a tension device, the force of up to thirty tonnes was brought into the seven drawbars. In total 6000 m2 of glass was used on the Nile House. The third building is on the borderline between Karlín and the Vltava is the residential complex River Diamond by the studio Šafer, Hájek Architekti. The matter facing the Vltava is very generous, but it is successfully broken down with fine details, such as windows diversely sticking out or in or surface made of different materials. The parterre (ground floor) is naturally designed for shops. What is beautiful is the garden arrangement of the yard open to the river. I went to see the complex when I was at the exhibition of design (at that time the construction was not finished yet) and I have to say that it is a great project. The complex has some 200 flats including the many times published sample apartment by Bára Škorpilová and Jan Nedvěd studio Mimolimit.
The fact that today I mentioned four truly great buildings and I would still have a lot to write about proves how big and intensive the construction activities are in the whole area. It is a place where you literally trip over newly realized architecture and it is definitely worth visiting. This time, therefore, I finish with a wish: Let only high quality architecture be built!!!
