The building plot chosen for the Faculty of Chemistry and Technology (FCT) is situated in the Polabiny district area of the city of Pardubice, on the Campus of Pardubice University which is characterised by its continuity with the adjacent loosely-arranged housing complex mostly consisting of concrete high-rise buildings of the 1970s and ‘80s. Two areas have been set aside for the new building development: a plot of land in the northern part of the University Campus demarcated by Hradecká, Studentská and K cihelně Streets, and another plot in the leafy southern part of the Campus looking towards the Labe River. The newly-designed building of the Faculty of Chemistry and Technology is placed in the northern part of the Campus. It has good transport accessibility and it is close to the present student Halls of Residence and the University Great Hall with the Library (design by architect Třeštík). The University Gymnasium is located in the south of the Campus by the Labe River. The new Gymnasium replaces the original building that was situated somewhat illogically in the midst of the northern part of the Campus where it was blocking off natural traffic; this building has been succeeded by the new building of the Faculty. An outdoor sports ground is to be located by the new Gymnasium.
The mass volume concept of the FCT buildings reflects the grid pattern of the surrounding built-up area and their arrangement corresponds to the irregularity of the construction plot. The ground plan areas of the individual buildings do not rest fully on the ground surface – instead, the ground surface horizontally flows underneath and the ground floor is freely passable for walkers, and on the other hand the buildings are interconnected by corridors at the second floor level. The complex consists of three buildings: the axis is formed by a two-storey horizontal building that passes through the whole area in north – south direction. The dynamic translucent mass of the axial building defines, together with the building of the Library, the area of the academic square. The flank buildings of the individual Departments are connected to the axis by continuously fenestrated bridges whilst their first and second storeys form a horizontal basis for the bodies of the Departments’ buildings that make up a pronounced spacial composition above the level of the second floor.
The central axial building is the point of entry into the Faculty, containing rooms shared by the whole building. The Dean’s Office and Students’ Affairs Department are situated on the ground floor in the south part of the building, the entrance hall, staircase and ramp are located in the middle, and central storerooms, washrooms and cloakrooms are placed in the north part of the building.
The flank Departments’ buildings contain mainly large-size teaching laboratories, in their central part there are atria (surrounded by respiria) and the facilities for laboratory workers and students. On the third to fifth floors, there are tutors’ offices and their laboratories. The vertical lift and staircase shafts that connect the upper floors with the corresponding teaching laboratories are graphically well set apart.
The buildings’ construction is designed as a monolithic reinforced concrete skeleton frame – a combination of supporting pillars, walls and vertical lift and staircase shafts with reinforced concrete monolithic roofs. The external skin of the first two storeys is made up of storey-high continuous glass fenestration covering. East and west façades of the upper floors of the Departments’ buildings are regularised by outside zinc-coated shading grillage. The gable walls are made of direct-finish concrete.
The technical installations, air conditioning units, hot water boilers and other capacity technologies are found in the basement rooms adjoining each staircase by vertical installation shafts so that the piping passes to the upper floors by the shortest way possible. The main media distributing piping systems pass through a basement corridor which connects all the buildings. In the laboratories, the piping is visibly conducted under the ceiling. This solution enables multiple connection of media and easy later additions or adjustment at any time. The fanning of a large number of fume hoods in the laboratories is ensured by a separate system of pipes opening on the roof of the buildings.
