Reconstruction of the Langhans Palace

The plot adjacent to the Franciscan Garden has an original medieval parcel layout; it is relatively narrow but very deep. Several houses stand here, separated by courtyards and rooftop terraces. Once, there was a significant center for portrait photography in Prague - Atelier Langhans. The characteristic appearance of light extensions of photography studios on the rooftops of the houses, as an image of the coexistence of the new with the old, inspired the design of the reconstruction. All four existing multi-story buildings were reconstructed and extended, and a new house was built on the site of the temporary single-story structures at the back of the plot.

The design of the reconstruction follows the system of arranging individual houses in a row deep into the plot. With this method, we aimed to maintain a relatively small scale of the building and preserve the atmosphere of the internal spaces of the house. The use of the concept of addition, layering, and extension was motivated by the search for a contemporary architectural expression related to randomness and the associated pleasantness of the environment of historical buildings.

The diversity of the building is also anchored in its program. In the basement, ground floor, and intermediate floor, there are retail spaces, offices are located on the lower floors, and apartments are on the upper levels. The last building, E, will be used as a photography gallery. In the axis of the plot, internal courtyards are lined up between the individual houses, ensuring natural lighting even on the ground floor. They help to define the basic communication axis of the house and introduce visitors in a natural way into the depth of the layout. The layouts of the apartments are designed so that each apartment can take advantage of visual contact with the Franciscan Garden and the street. The extensions above the level of the cornice are designed as open spatial structures protected by external blinds.

The fact that this building was not only about professional investment of financial resources with a short-term effect but about a long-term targeted intention on both an individual and social level significantly influenced the appearance of the Langhans Palace.