In the historic centre of Žatec, the Czech Republic, the renovation of the townhouse at 171 Oblouková Street has been completed. The building has been in the same family for 100 years, but had recently fallen into disrepair. Thanks to eight years of work carried out by architects Jan Hora and Barbora Hora from the ORA studio, the house has been transformed into a multi-purpose inn with guest rooms, accommodation for the owners and a beer hall reflecting the hop-growing traditions of this UNESCO-listed town. Today, the family-owned townhouse is once again bustling with life.
A family townhouse in Žatec
The history of the house dates back to the 1920s, when the great-great-grandparents of the current owners settled in Žatec. Subsequent generations lived here until the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Afterwards, the building fell into disrepair, and botched renovations further exacerbated its problems. When the property passed to the heirs, it was in a state close to structural collapse. The roof was leaking and parts of the roof structure were missing, the ceilings had partially collapsed, and the timber was infested with fungus.
Eight years of restoration and learning the craft
The renovation work took eight years and was carried out against a backdrop of a limited budget, difficulties in finding qualified contractors and the COVID-19 pandemic. The architects treated the project as a practical lesson in heritage conservation. They tested technologies and materials themselves to work more effectively with the craftsmen. Particular attention was paid to traditional lime plasters and working methods that accommodate the natural irregularities of the historic walls. Consultations with heritage conservationists were held at every stage.
The family-owned tenement house was in need of rescue
The first task was to stabilise the building. The tenement was reinforced with steel braces, the collapsed vault was rebuilt, and the most damaged ceiling was replaced with a concrete slab. The greatest challenge, however, proved to be the three-storey attic, formerly used for drying hops. This is a typical feature of the architecture of Žatec, a town with centuries of association with the cultivation of this plant. Traces of old markings used for counting sacks of hops have even been preserved on the wooden beams. Ultimately, master carpenters restored the roof truss to its full load-bearing capacity, saving this most valuable part of the building.
A second life for materials
A significant portion of the fittings and finishing elements were sourced from demolition sites and warehouses full of forgotten materials. Rotten beams were replaced with hand-hewn timber from a demolished house in the village of Vrbovec, whilst red marble tiles were salvaged from a construction waste container. The passageway features cleaned tiles from an old farmstead in southern Bohemia, almost identical to the originals. The courtyard, meanwhile, is paved with ceramic tiles from Šatov, which had lain in a barn for around 100 years before finally being put to use.
The family townhouse in Žatec is back to life
Under the historic floors, underfloor heating was concealed, and new installations were laid behind the uneven plasterwork. New fire-resistant doors made of solid ash wood were also installed, along with windows designed specifically for this building. The street-facing façade was of paramount importance throughout the project. In the 1990s, it lost almost all its decorative features. After analysing archival photographs, the architects recreated the cornices and window frames in a simplified form, whilst maintaining the building’s historical proportions. Today, this charming tenement is bustling with life once again, thanks in part to a beer bar run in collaboration with the FALKON Flying Brewery. In a city famous for its hops, such a neighbourhood seems particularly natural.
Design: ORA
Photography: BoysPlayNice
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