A terraced house in the Břevnov district of Prague has been given a new look. The redesign was prepared by Mimosa Architects. The most valuable modernist elements that give the building its character have been retained. The eclectic interior is distinguished by the white colour scheme of the walls, which makes the space seem larger.
Originally built in the 1950s, the building has already undergone one major metamorphosis: in 2000, it was adapted to the needs of a family with three children, designed by ADR. The current remodelling is the next chapter: the house was to become a comfortable, contemporary place for a married couple, but at the same time remain a space open to loved ones who keep coming back.
From the outside, it is difficult to guess the scale of the changes. The most obvious is the new form of the second floor: a wide dormer with frameless glazing has replaced two small windows, opening up the interior to the garden and light. The rest of the transformation is hidden behind the calm, subdued façade, whose character has been muted by a subtle colour palette and the juxtaposition of two types of render – a fine-grained one and a rough one, with a shower of stone aggregate. All the windows were also replaced, abandoning the historicist divisions in favour of contemporary, precise details. Oak frames with glass overlays, frameless glazing and windows in whitewashed spruce create a discreet dialogue between the new and the preserved.
The biggest revolution, however, has taken place inside. The lower level, hitherto dark and cramped, has been opened up with an enlarged entrance, glass doors and the removal of suspended ceilings. The change in materials and colours has made the space bright, clear and more welcoming. The ground floor, connected directly to the garden, now houses the main life of the house: the living room, the kitchen with dining area and the owners’ bedroom. It is here that space for a private bathroom has been made possible, thanks to precise shifting and narrowing of the garden opening.
On the first floor, where the children’s rooms used to be, a multifunctional living room was created – a space for family celebrations, a home cinema and a guest room in one. The bathrooms and an additional room were also remodelled, and the attic was arranged so that guests can stay for longer periods of time while maintaining the intimacy of the hosts. The entire layout of this floor, including the bathroom, was redesigned.
The interior has undergone an almost complete transformation, albeit with respect for elements that carried the memory of previous decades. The galvanised steel balustrade, which connects the main and auxiliary flights of stairs, has been given a distinctive, somewhat ‘unpraised’ character. The original parquet floors and metal skirting boards were renewed and replenished. The walls were kept in soft shades of white and grey to create a neutral background for the art. Plywood with natural tones appeared in selected areas to introduce warmth and rhythm. The bathrooms were designed from scratch: monumental 3×1 m white panels were juxtaposed with terrazzo and solid oak furniture. The original doors with fanlights were renovated and new doors were made with a concealed frame system.
Most importantly, however, the house is not a design show, but a story about people. Every object here has an author, a story, an emotional weight. The cooker in the living room was made by a friend of the owners, Jurgen Rajh. The solid wood furniture was created in the workshop of their son, Jacob. A glass sculpture by Dana Vachtova, another close friend, rests on the cooker. The textiles were sewn by the owner herself, from wool brought from Scotland. The lamps above the table were found at a Danish flea market. Even the concrete slabs on the terrace have their origin – from a concrete batching plant near the distillery in Javornice, an important place for the hosts. As with the first reconstruction, friendly architects were involved in the process now too. Every inch of the house is woven from relationships, memories, impulses and rational decisions.
This interior does not aspire to be a museum or a time capsule. It is a living archive – not of things, but of people. A house that has grown up with its inhabitants has not stopped in the past. It has opened up to the next stage, in which proximity, light and everyday life are the most important things. And that is precisely why it is so comfortable to live in.
design: Mimosa Architects, www.mimosa.cz
photos: Petr Polák, petrpolakstudio.cz
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