Masná 130 is a 500+-year-old house situated in the centre of Český Krumlov, a small town in Bohemia, Central Europe, and a popular UNESCO heritage site. When we bought the house in 2016, it was in a dilapidated state and had been neglected for decades. However, we saw its potential, suspecting that the neglect might also have preserved the original character of the space and its distinctive elements such as the original floors.

We only discovered gradually that taking care of even a small historical house borders on insanity. The foundations of the house were affected after flooding, it was not connected to the sewage system, the roof was in a total state of disrepair, and at the same time, the roof beams were historically much more valuable than anyone suspected. Along the way, we found out what needed to be renovated, learned to listen to the house, and acquired several old craft skills ourselves.

We wanted to preserve as many historical elements as possible, but at the same time wanted to update the house to reflect contemporary life and complement the historical interiors with something that characterizes us – a love of contemporary design and a minimalist style. We did not want to create a historical "museum" interior, nor a design showroom, we wanted to organically connect the historical and contemporary layers. The architects from ORA studio share the same philosophy in their approach to historical renovations and therefore, were the perfect choice for this project.

During the first two years, we renovated the ground floor with the aim of renting it out as a cafe. We ended up opening the cafe under the name Masná 130 by ourselves, even though we had no experience in running such a business. We then continued with renovating the next floor, knowing that for the sustainability of the project, it would also be used for business, but we did not want to divide it into several hotel rooms. We decided to keep the layout almost intact, as it was inhabited by generations before us and we would eventually like to inhabit it ourselves.

The concept of Masná caters to the "slow" visitor of the city. The cafe on the ground floor has become a lively meeting place in its five years of existence. We aim to develop the local community, organizing neighbourhood street festivals with live music, and we look for opportunities to cooperate with nearby businesses and destination organizations of the city. The apartment we consider our home and only occasionally rent it to guests who want to enjoy the combination of old and new. We think a lot about sustainability and the burden that over-tourism places on the city. We seek a healthy balance.

Team:

Architects: ORA (Original Regional Architecture)

Author: Author Jan Hora, Jan Veisser, Barbora Hora, Klára Mačková

Client: Petra Hanáková, Radek Techlovský

Photographer BoysPlayNice

Materials Used:

Custom-made furniture: CREATISA design

birch plywood: custom-made furniture
cement floor tiling
Bandaska light: DECHEM studio
One floor light: Atelier Areti
Semiluna light: LUCIS
Trasparenze Sytem tiles: Ceramica Vogue
hanging toilet Laufen Pro: Laufen
sink Finion Suface: Villeroy & Boch
battery Essence: GROHE