Spirit of ecstasy

CTU in Prague - Faculty of Civil Engineering

Project idea

The main Idea of the reconstruction was to open space to the public while creating a dominant feature in the Národní street, contrasting surrounding structures with both its shape and used material, and its scale, suppression of which is enabled by its light load-bearing glass structure, contrary to the current state which bears distinctive lines.
The next important point was to open a green atrium to the public.
The bottom line of the structure lines up with the current building and upwards it leans towards the opposite standing ,,National café" which is apparent in the site plan.

Project description

We solved the project as architectural studie.
The project will use for people as multipurpose building.
To 1.-3. underground floors people will run in with car from Voršilská street thanks a atomatic car lifts. We use these floors as car park.
1. overground floor will be for reception and some shop, 2.-4. overground floors we want to use for gallery as some open space, 5.-6. overground floors we use for office - for boss and meeting room, 7. overground floor is new structure and there will be a restaurant and dance hall for public + in next (8.) floor will be some gathering and outlook, there you can see the most popular monuments in Prague as Prague castle, Petřín, National museum and many others..
The exterior is comprised of glass boards that from a distance appear as a compact mass and close up thanks to the surface modification reflecting the surrounding historical buildings it blends in. At night the building appears as a light and transparent mass subtly divided by the glass frames.

Technical information

The vertical load-bearing structure of the overground section of the building is a frame structure consisting of glass laminated beam. The horizontal load-bearing structure consists of laminated glass frame topped by glass boards with an anti-slip surface.
The outer part of the facade consists of tripple glazed insulating glass panels with a golden reflective surface modification.
The interior glass is single glazed so that there is a gap created in between the glasses helping to decrease the heat gain and serves as a space for the air-con distribution.
The new structure is connecter to the old via bridge which serve as a link between the building and sanitary facilities, and as the fire escape route enabling the staircase to be lighter. The escape route from any place inside the building is shorter throught the closest bridge than the ratified longest possible.
Escape route from the two topmost floors leads through an outside staircase on the facade.

Co-authors

Jan Zelený