Czech architectural studio KURZ Architects has completed the refurbishment of an idiosyncratic office space for the marketing agency Czech Promotion. Located in the Karlín neighborhood of Prague, the bright and airy office design makes particular use of recycled materials.
KURZ Architects first worked with Czech Promotion in 2017 on the design of the marketing agency’s 900-square-meter (9,688-square-feet) premises in the Palác Karlín (Karlín Palace). The architectural studio recently returned to Palác Karlín to work on another office space for the agency. This 1,000-square-meter (10,764-square-feet) space “differs from the current design trends with its airiness, diverse structures, and recycled materials,” says the studio.
Palác Karlín was designed in 1929 by Brno architect and industrial designer Bohumír Čermák. Renowned Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill completed a reconstruction of the functionalist building in 1999.
The layout of the new office space prioritizes movement and communication (apropos to a marketing agency). KURZ Architects devised a multifunctional corridor filled with a series of small semicircular meeting rooms.
Recycling is key to the project’s delivery, reflecting an important tenet of Czech Promotion: “to design functional solutions that maximize the desired effect at the lowest possible cost,” explains KURZ Architects. The studio therefore sought a range of materials that were logistically and economically accessible and sustainable. Examples include: a window constructed using wine bottles and glass walls made from Palác Karlín’s original windows; the use of second-hand doors and wooden wall paneling made with old beams.
“The space is filled with restored antique furniture combined with modern pieces from Czech manufacturers and bespoke furniture, such as the 9-meter-long (30-feet-long) work table,” says KURZ Architects.
Pillows cover the walls in the small semicircular meeting rooms, creating a quirky acoustic backdrop.
White is used throughout the office space, unifying each of its elements — including brick walls, ceilings, columns, and wire mesh — and creating a fresh and vibrant air.
Wire mesh extends over the ceilings and columns, providing an ideal way to hang plants. Greenery features all through the office interior, adding to a feeling of vitality: plants are known to make a positive contribution to the physical environment — they purify the air, improve well-being, and boost concentration.
Materials used by KURZ Architects in this office project include: a trowel-finished concrete floor, welded wire mesh for ceiling soffits and protecting steel columns, and wood wall paneling and flooring.
