Hotel Josef

The plot at the intersection of Masná and Rybné streets is one of the most challenging puzzles for suitable construction of any kind in Prague's Old Town. Its front part is flanked by two buildings of different heights and architectural styles, while the potential for construction depth is limited by demands for lighting of the surrounding buildings.
From an urban planning perspective, the most important issue appeared to be resolving the space of Masná street, where an empty plot opens a view into the not very attractive corners of the inner construction of central Prague houses. As a result of the extension of the end of Masná street, the area into which the new building integrates rather resembles a small square than a typical street. The overall construction in this part of Prague appears quite diverse in terms of architectural character and height of neighboring buildings, choice of building materials, colors, and details. The dominant feature of the area is undoubtedly the decorative corner structure of the police station, which has been humanized and humorized after the Velvet Revolution by choosing somewhat contrasting colors. The newer building adjacent to our plot from the other side draws much less attention and appears far less architecturally demanding, even though it is considerably neglected.
Given the mass reality of the surrounding construction, we have therefore divided the concept of the proposed development into two buildings with a central enclosed courtyard and a glass connector. The presented solution strives to avoid any dominant elements and instead focuses on a calm, unobtrusive, yet elegant insertion into the existing mosaic of opinions and forms. Rather than a horizontal motif visibly separating floors, the front facade presents a more or less balanced pattern of the overall area of windows three-dimensionally connected by sunshades and their bracing against the uplift force of the wind. The sunshades are not an ornament of the facade, but a corresponding measure against excessive influence of solar energy. Their use has succeeded in creating an internal environment that did not require UV film, which appears inappropriate in the context of the Old Town.
The color scheme is neutral, utilizing natural materials in combination with glass. The facade was intended to continue in the sandy tone of the police station, which, however, changed to green just before the completion of the hotel. Both adjacent facades are characterized, among other things, by a three-dimensional solution for framing the windows with somewhat pseudo-classical motifs and decorative cornices (police station). The sun protections allude to this tradition and allow for a play of light and shadow, while also remaining in harmony with the overall concept of a uniformly balanced facade.
We paid great attention to the transitions between buildings, details of the roof, height dependencies, and the character of the existing buildings due to a pre-established principle that aims for a natural blending of the new design with the existing environment.