The interior of the offices of KOVOSVIT MAS

KOVOSVIT MAS is a significant company with a 75-year tradition in the manufacturing and development of metalworking machines, operating in both the Czech and foreign markets. The construction of the manufacturing complex dates back to the period of World War II and is interesting from a historical, urbanistic, and architectural perspective (the company's origin in Baťa's shoe factories, the project's influence from World War II, construction on greenfield in accordance with the principle of Baťa's garden city, collaboration with notable architects such as Josef Gočár).
The investor's wish was to reconstruct the "fifth floor" of the office building into new administrative spaces, with part of the floor designated for the company's management. The investor emphasized the incorporation of greenery into the concept and the acoustic solutions of individual spaces.
The architectural solution of the interior is based on the character of the building – an administrative building in a manufacturing complex, characteristic of its modern construction style, resembling “Baťa's buildings.” The structural system of the object is a three-part design with circular columns, and the outer structure includes significant glazing and window framing. The height of the window openings extends up to the horizontal load-bearing structure. The building is symmetrically arranged with an accentuated transverse axis.

Division of Space
The space is divided by the transverse axis into a left section, which contains typical workplaces, and a right section, which houses the company's management and representative meeting spaces. The management is logically situated in the right section due to the view over the entire manufacturing complex. The design emphasizes the use of greenery, whether in the form of flowerpots or winter gardens, and the creation of informal zones for employee meetings.
The size and location of the offices are based on the structural system. The office and conference spaces are placed in the outer fields. Winter gardens and informal seating are situated in the central section. Since this is the top floor, these spaces are illuminated by roof skylights.

Color and Material Solution
The corporate colors of KOVOSVIT MAS are gray, white, and red. These colors are used in the interior design and predominantly dominate the left section of the floor. The floor finish is gray vinyl resembling the flooring of the original industrial building. In representative spaces, wooden flooring in a combination of light and dark wood is used. The color of the floor always contrasts with the decor of the furniture. Accessories are chosen in gray, beige to brown shades. Another artistic motif is the vertical and irregular horizontal division of the glazed partitions.
The original window openings extend to the height of the load-bearing ceiling structure. For this reason, the existing ceiling structure is acknowledged and emphasized with a dark gray color. The ceiling soffit consists of separate white elements suspended from the load-bearing structure of the ceiling. The soffit is designed with increased acoustic requirements in mind. The soffit elements are in the shapes of squares, rectangles, or slats. Depending on their placement within the interior, a square soffit with independently suspended lighting is used, as well as a rectangular soffit with integrated rectangular lighting; in the management offices, suspended slats are also utilized for acoustic reasons. In spaces with an informal character, integrated circular ceiling lights are placed in the soffit.
Particular care was given to the winter gardens and informal zones. In the winter gardens, the organic shape of the flowerpots predominates, using natural pebbles on the floor as well as in the construction of these pots. The greenery was selected with regard to lighting, substrate depth, and the size of the pots. The winter gardens are complemented by a flowing water element, such as a waterfall or pond. Natural daylight through skylights is advantageous for the winter garden, allowing for the use of a variety of plant species.
High demands were placed on the quality of the interior, greenery, and acoustic requirements during the design and realization. Thanks to mutual cooperation with the investor, it was possible to create interesting working and representative spaces.