His sculptures adorn many cities around the world, and their original forms often spark controversy and encourage discussion. David Černý, with his huge sculptures, this time decorated an apartment building in Prague. One sculpture seems to wrap around the building, while another supports the entire structure like a giant leg.
Fragment is a new apartment building in the Karlín district of Prague. Its design was created by architects from QARTA Architektura. The multi-family house has a dynamic form, and the designed premises here appear as a stack of cubes. In order to distinguish the investment, the investor decided to decorate it with sculptures. And not just any sculptures! These are large-scale sculptures, designed by the famous sculptor David Černý.
The unusual decoration is intended to symbolise the changes that have been taking place in the last decade in what was once an industrial district of the city. It is a part of the Czech capital that is increasingly chosen by young Prague citizens. They live, work and relax here..
A new development, the Fragment flats, is designed to meet their needs. The architects designed the building inspired by the district’s industrial history, but gave it a modern and dynamic form. The building neighbours the tall buildings of the modernist Invalidovna housing estate on one side and the small-scale historical buildings on the other. The new building is intended to provide a smooth transition between the two areas.
The apartment building was built on a plot whose shape is close to a trapezoid. The architects have divided it into two parts, which are joined by the upper storeys. A large pillar was built just below them to support the structure. The developer decided to mask it with a sculpture by David Černýe, making it look like a huge leg.
Leaving a free space in the central part of the building made it possible to create a courtyard, which frames the views of the historic architecture and also has a communicative function. The cascading arrangement of the living areas is no accident. This ensures optimum natural light for the residents.
The entire development has benefited from environmentally friendly solutions. The architects have designed a green roof surface, photovoltaic panels and heat pumps have been installed, and the residents have access to their own underground water source.
photos: BoysPlayNice, www.boysplaynice.com
design: QARTA Architektura – David Wittassek, Jiří Řezák
sculpture design: David Černý
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