„Prague eyes”
architect Petr Janda, Brainwork
Architect Petr Janda for studio Brainwork says: We co-initiated this ten-year project in 2009 as a programmatic and architectural revitalisation of the Prague riverfront, originally built as a quay and transhipment point. After the 2002 floods, the area was deserted and used as a car park, but through gradual content activation, we have achieved a spontaneous cultural and social revival, as well as the subsequent architectural rehabilitation. The vast, revitalised riverfront stretches almost 4 km along three Prague embankments: Rašín, Hořejší and Dvořák.
The completed first phase focused on the reconstruction of 20 vaults in the riverside wall (originally storage areas) and represents Prague's largest post-revolutionary investment in public space, the first of its kind and with unprecedented sociocultural impact. Instead of creating classic interiors, the vaults merge with their exteriors for maximum contact with the riverfront area and the river itself. The vaults will serve as cafes, workshops, galleries and public toilets, with possible adjustments and specialised equipment tailored to the needs of individual tenants, many of whom co-created the phenomenon of the riverfront area and will continue to operate there.
The interventions merge symbiotically with the riverside wall's original architecture, into they fuse naturally, using the acupuncture strategy, to re-create a monumental whole. Six vaults on the Rašín Embankment are accessible via elliptical pivoting windows made of organic glass, whose proportions of 7 cm thick and 5.5 m in diameter are derived from the proportions of the vaults, making them likely the largest in the world. The 14 vaults on the Hořejší Embankment have steel sculptural entrances. The surfaces are made of sand-blasted concrete with cast floors and individual elements of titanium-coated black metal. Air-conditioning with heat recovery and infrared heaters allow for year-round operation. The vaults are wheelchair accessible, with mobile flood protection barriers. The next phases include eight more vaults, street furniture, a floating pool and a shipping terminal.
The popular door handle Sogut TIN-K was used throughout the project. A brass door handle with magnetic rosette with a selection of 10 surfaces, with a guarantee of 3 - 15 years according to the type of finish, with quality mechanics M 2018, with use on interior and exterior doors. New brass natural, brass antic and brass polished with lifetime warranty.
Ing. arch. MgA. Petr Janda, photographer: Michael Tomeš
Brainwork / Petr Janda, Anna Podroušková, Maty Donátová, Bára Simajchlová
Collection of Sogut handles, mechanics with a magnetic rosette