Reconstruction of an apartment in Letná

How to create one open space from a large multi-room apartment so that there need not be doors between the individual rooms, as the client requested as few as possible, yet still have the sensation that the rooms are separated?

We aimed to cleanse the entire space, utilizing the existing structural and technical parameters of the apartment. The ceiling structure of the reinforced concrete beams with ribs was also exposed. This gave the apartment a rawer character.

A key theme of the concept was the choice of flooring, which was to be uniform throughout the apartment, including in the bathrooms and shower areas. One option was terrazzo flooring, but after a static assessment, we decided with the client on a polished concrete screed.

The second theme of the concept is the insertion of "boxes" into the open space, so that the rooms are delineated, and in this way, the private area of the apartment is separated from the living area. The inserted boxes are made from various materials and structures.

The main dividing element of the space is a green ribbed box that conceals part of the kitchen with a refrigerator, dishwasher, or built-in oven, wardrobe in the bedroom, or a cupboard that serves at the entrance.

At the entrance, there is a small technical room and two built-in wardrobes. One is integrated into dark paneling that transitions around the corner into a library. The other is located in the green box. The central space is the kitchen with an island clad in patinated brass panels. It has a massive concrete countertop. Cleverly hidden within the surface of the island are openings for a sorter, for example, for organic waste. The bedroom is located behind the green box. It has three entrances. The headboard serves as a division for the existing massive chimney structure. Between the main bathroom and the bedroom, there is a pass-through library.

The second half of the apartment is without any divisions or partitions. There is space for a dining area with a living area. In this half of the apartment, there is also a small bathroom with a toilet for guests. The entrance to the bathroom is at the apartment's vestibule.

The views that emerged after removing most of the partitions are sometimes surprising, thanks to the combination of so many materials used in the apartment.