Žižkov City

Instead of oversized block development, we opt for breaking down the massing into a finer urban grain. The result is a pair of smaller closed blocks and a key freestanding building – the habitat – which stands directly on the main axis through the site and acts as a natural landmark for the whole design. This loosening allows us to achieve much better orientation of the flats to the cardinal points, natural ventilation and, above all, a high degree of pedestrian permeability in the emerging district.

We conceive the central freestanding building – the habitat – primarily for students and young residents seeking a community lifestyle. Here, the traditional enclosed courtyard is replaced by an open park setting for meeting, relaxing and neighbourly life. We support a lively atmosphere with an active ground floor, shared spaces and accessible roofs. A flexible layout system also allows the building to be adapted in the future – for example by converting part of its capacity into housing for senior citizens, creating a natural intergenerational environment.

The pair of closed blocks, by contrast, is designed for couples and young families who prefer a quieter character of living and greater privacy. The traditional urban form with an inner courtyard creates a sheltered semi-private environment that provides a safe space for children, neighbourly encounters and a retreat from the bustle of the city.

In designing the façades and load-bearing structures, we start from a rational modular grid that makes the layouts more efficient and allows a high degree of prefabrication. The visual expression is complemented by the undulating curve of the habitat's balconies, which brings elegance and lightness to the site. The colour scheme of the whole ensemble draws on the historic genius loci of the Žižkov railway station. In the design, we combine brick tones with steelworks green and neutral grey, naturally linking the new buildings with the industrial memory of the place.