Pavilion Z

Year2021

CategoryCivic Amenities

LocationČeské Budějovice

StatusCompleted

In reconstructing the national Pavilion Z from the 1970s at the Výstaviště České Budějovice exhibition grounds, we focused on restoring its original minimalist beauty and creating a state-of-the-art multifunctional hall for the 21st century. We lightened the original concept of three ascending cuboids by clearing away the accretions of past years – much as superfluous branches are removed when cultivating a bonsai.

We stripped the building back to its load-bearing steel frame, which is now exposed both inside and out. The massing is built on the contrast between a light glazed ground floor of Copilit glass walls and a seemingly heavy white roof. We created a highly adaptable space that can transform from agricultural exhibitions to congresses and concerts of the South Bohemian Philharmonic, while connecting the glazed surfaces with the surrounding park brings nature right into the heart of the hall.

Client	Výstaviště České Budějovice
Design team	Martin Krupauer Pavel Kvintus Daniel Jeništa Petr Hornát
Collaboration	Anežka Vonášková Jaroslav Kedaj

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Reconstruction as Cultivation

We approached the reconstruction of this iconic 1970s building with the idea of cultivating a bonsai. Just as superfluous leaves are carefully removed from the plant to achieve a new, airy expression, we stripped the pavilion of all random accretions and partitions of past eras. We uncovered the original steel frame and elevated it to the main visual and structural principle of the interior. In place of a once closed building that came to life for barely a few days a year, we have restored to the building its pure geometry and a year-round social purpose.

Multifunctional Space

The architectural concept of the interior is based on maximum versatility and working with light. We divide the main hall into a fixed service section and a generous open space with a flexible curtain system. When the curtains are drawn back, the surrounding greenery of the exhibition grounds penetrates through the Copilit glass walls right into the hall; when they are closed, a perfect black box for theatre or concerts is created. The greenish profiled glass also brings a soft, dreamlike light into the interior, creating an intimate and pleasant atmosphere.

Materials and Operational Versatility

For the materials, we rely on a restrained black-and-white palette and durable surfaces. The floor is polished concrete familiar from industrial halls, which easily bears heavy agricultural machinery yet looks elegant at balls and concerts. All modern technology, ventilation and cooling are openly housed in a separate services tower with a glazed joint. The upper floor is complemented by adaptable conference halls lit by a new rooflight with basilica-style clerestory lighting.

A Minimalist Silhouette in the Park

From the outside, the building appears clean, unified and minimalist. The two lower floors are wrapped in a semi-transparent Copilit glass wall that creates a subtle play of light and shadow. On this delicate, airy base sits the seemingly massive volume of the roof, to which we gave lightness with a pure white finish. In distant views, the pavilion thus reads as a unified architectural jewel set in the greenery of the České Budějovice exhibition grounds.