Smíchov Business Park

Year2017

CategoryOffices

LocationPrague

StatusZoning permit documentation

The architectural study for Smíchov Business Park follows the transformation of Smíchov from a former industrial district into a contemporary urban fabric with housing, offices and retail.

The design is based on the site of a former dairy, which in the past underwent a series of disparate alterations and extensions. The study therefore seeks to unify it as a whole, restore its industrial character and draw a clear distinction between the original and newly inserted parts. It removes inappropriate additions, unifies the colour scheme of the façades and replaces 1990s elements with materials better suited to the original character of the complex.

At the same time, new architectural elements are inserted into the existing structure, linking the individual buildings, making circulation clearer and giving the entire Business Park a contemporary identity while preserving its industrial memory.

Client	Smíchov Real Estate, a.s.
Design team	Martin Krupauer Pavel Kvintus Martin Sedmák

Restoring the Industrial Character

The former dairy building has undergone numerous renovations and extensions in the past. The current design aims to unify the entire complex, give it a homogeneous expression and at the same time restore its industrial character.

We are removing extensions that detract from the original appearance of the site, unifying the colour scheme of the façades and replacing the 1990s plastic windows with aluminium elements of an industrial character. The newly added volumes are clearly distinguishable from the original buildings.

The design introduces no prominent high-rise landmarks to the area. The new volumes respect the scale of the existing buildings and complement the complex without disrupting its fundamental spatial structure.

The design also includes park areas that increase the proportion of greenery on the site. The complex is completed by a perimeter wall that clearly defines the former dairy block.

Four New Interventions

We are inserting four new elements into the existing complex.

The first is the “Butterfly”, an amorphous volume wrapping the original corner villa, which once served as a reservoir. The new volume links the original building with modern office use. Towards the courtyard, the organic curve breaks at a right angle, helping to connect the new buildings with the older ones while reinforcing the dominant role of the chimney.

The second new volume is the rooftop extension above Building A. Its dynamic shape flows seamlessly into the roof and continues through a series of rooflights all the way to the “Butterfly”.

The third element is a glass cube that links the opposite buildings and serves as the circulation core of the entire Business Park. It replaces part of the 1990s scheme that separated the courtyard from the chimney.

The fourth intervention is a three-level underground car park located on the southern edge of the site. It is accessed from Strakonická street via a ramp running perpendicular to the street.

A prominent theme of the design is the treatment of the roofscape.

The individual parapets do not run at a uniform height but vary in response to the diverse volumes of the complex. The roof silhouette thus gains dynamism and reinforces the character of an industrial structure that has grown over time.