Czech creative studio QARTA Architektura has designed a new Prague-based headquarters for Blum, a leading manufacturer of furniture and cabinetry fittings. The building’s smart industrial aesthetic reflects the company’s innovative design focus and stands out as a new addition to the urban landscape.
Blum places great emphasis on engineering precision, attention to detail, and an individualized approach in its work. The company required a workplace that gives prominence to creativity, education, transparency, and knowledge sharing. Taken together, these aspects helped to inform the design of Blum’s new Prague HQ.
Facilities at the new HQ include a training center and workshops for professionals, a showroom for the public, open-plan areas for team collaboration, and quiet spaces for individual work. The building’s external volumes appear surprisingly small in relation to its more generous internal spaces. The design also incorporates a bridge, connecting the headquarters with a natural oasis that runs along a neighboring railway corridor.
The new Blum HQ is notable for its industrial design elements. Exposed concrete, visible heating and cooling ducts, galvanized floor squares, and acoustic panels provide a utilitarian backdrop. The use of expanded metal on the building’s front-facing facade creates an expressive mesh-like finish. The design also emphasizes natural ventilation and lighting, including the incorporation of a light well.
“Beyond its functional aspects, the Blum Headquarters stands out as a landmark in its urban landscape,” says QARTA Architektura. The HQ is located in the Vysočany district of Prague, a one-time heavily industrialized area. A contemporary and dynamic building, it improves the character of the formerly faceless site, making the HQ a focal point. “It also demonstrates how a mutual collaboration between an investor and a city’s administrative body on matters of architecture can be key to improving the quality of a city district, in this case, one that preserves the industrial heritage of the location,” says QARTA Architektura.
Built-up area: 907 square meters (9,763 square feet)
Gross floor area: 1,728 square meters (18,600 square feet)
Usable floor area: 1,602 square meters (17,244 square feet)
Plot size: 4,929 square meters (53,055 square feet)
