Restaurant Pier 22

The restaurant project emerged as the second one in the context of a long-term collaboration between the investors and the architect. While the first case involved a trendy bar in the historic center of Prague, this time the clients aimed to create a modern yet inviting restaurant in Holešovice, Prague. This district has been undergoing a transformation in recent years from an industrial periphery to a modern residential and administrative part of the broader center of Prague, bringing with it higher demands for service quality.
The original brief for the architect was to create a pleasant environment for everyday dining for people living in the area and working in the new administrative buildings. However, the first visit to the premises of the former Mikrotechna factory uncovered many pitfalls that needed to be addressed. These included very low ceilings soaked with oil from the factory operations, missing documentation of the existing heating and drainage systems, absence of ventilation and all technologies needed for gastronomic operations, a missing street entrance, and water installations running through the ceiling space. There is no need to elaborate on the construction office's requirements. (Air exchange of 8000 m³/h, lap food capacity of 1000 meals per day...)
After processing the zoning permit, the long discussions about the interior design finally began. Given that there are already too many references to the industrial past of Holešovice in the case of the reconstructed buildings in the area, it was agreed that thematically, the space would refer to the Holešovice river port. The investor's intention was to create an atmosphere of a cultivated but not overly expensive restaurant for "everyday use." The architect's goal was to promote a style that would subtly reference the themes of ports and ships in hints, details, and materials, provided that the space would not feature obvious clichés such as steering wheels and fishing nets on the walls.
The restaurant has been in operation since January 2008.