holečkova 26

Settlement of the area can be dated back to the Middle Ages, when vineyards, hop farms, farmsteads, fields, and gardens were located here during the reign of the House of Luxembourg. From the end of the 16th century, summer houses in gardens and farmhouses were established in Smíchov, which gave this part of the town a unique and authentic character. Due to the position, the unique local atmosphere results from the proximity to the historic city centre and the terrain's topography. These are the southern slope of the Petřín Hill adjacent to the Kinský Garden, with its many views, the villas of the 1920s and 1930s, former farmsteads and historical palatial buildings in vast gardens dating back several centuries. In the last decade, new upscale residential complexes were also built in the area. The printing and bookbinding workshop building from the end of the 19th century standing on the plot has completely lost all its historical and architectural value after a series of rebuilding. After considering all town-forming aspects, the investor decided to remove the old building and replace it with a top-quality contemporary architecture that will be a more dignified partner to the surrounding buildings. The architects tried not to disturb the area's openness and airiness. The gap in the street frontage of Holečkova Street will be partially filled by the construction of a glazed two-storey plinth reaching up to the height of the present earthen wall, in which commercial and office areas will be located. The residential part of the new building is conceived as a detached volume resting on this plinth respecting the proportions and scale of the neighbouring buildings, protected by a glass noise barrier adjacent to the plinth's facade. The terraced garden areas, including grown trees, will be retained as far as possible and sensitively complemented by new planting will be made open to the occupiers of the flats. In addition, the garden will offer common facilities such as a children's playground, terraces adjacent to the swimming poolscape and a barbecue pit at the top of the garden. The main entrance is designed on the axis of the glazed plinth's façade from Holečka Street. It is accessed through a front garden with an avenue of mature trees and, alongside the entrances to the retail areas, into the representative lobby at the retail floor level. The lobby's centrepiece is a reception desk integrated into a spacious spiral staircase leading to the office space on the floor above. The staircase does not only connect the plinth's two non-residential floors, but its shape is also a sculpture and one of the project's novel architectural elements. In addition, the two staircases leading to the residential floors are connected to the hall. The building's residential section, a five-storey detached block, stands set back from the street line surrounded by green spaces. The dynamics of its elliptical shape is enhanced by the fan-shaped setback of the apartment terraces on the east side and emphasised by a system of vertical slats giving prominence to the changing slopes of the façade. Extensive terraces in front of all south-facing units also serve as shading and minimise unwanted overheating of the living spaces in summer. The range of apartments is extensive. Smaller and medium-sized units will be created on the lower floors, some with attached gardens. The flats' floor area increases upwards; we propose four large flats with access to roof terraces surrounded by intensive and extensive greenery on the fifth floor. Each rooftop extension of these apartments offers access to the roof and a living space of proportional size, a private sauna, and panoramic long-distance views, especially to the southern part of the city. However, the emphasis is on attractive views from all apartment floors. These views are guaranteed by placing the residential wing at a higher position behind the street frontage edge and a highly transparent outer envelope. The southern façades are designed as fully glazed; on the northern side, large-format windows are also designed as floor-to-ceiling panels. The apartments on the lower floors thus open out into the surrounding gardens. A wellness zone will be established in the interior at a garden level usable all year round with a 15-metre swimming pool, relaxation areas and bar, sauna, changing rooms, and sanitary facilities on the northwest side of the residential block. In addition, visitors can use the adjacent outdoor terraces on the shady side and in the garden's sunny section. The car park is divided into a semi-public section at the street level serving offices and retail units and a strictly residential zone in the basement with direct access to residential staircases with lifts. Entrances to the two parking zones are rigorously separated at the far ends of the street façade plinth. The development design embodies a clear ambition to create an exemplary building type designed from the outset with high internal and external environmental quality. The building has been designed from the ground up to guarantee reduced energy consumption, including superior thermal insulation of the shell and forced ventilation in all apartments with heat and cold recovery. Durable materials of European origin are used to the maximum extent not polluting the environment; the parking is equipped with charging facilities for electric vehicles. The procedure for designing the technical and building physical properties is not solely based on standard or recommended values but a much more comprehensive assessment according to the life cycle assessment methodology.