Technology Center UMPRUM Mikulandská

Technological and Research Facility of the Fine Arts Academy in Prague
Confirmation of the Fine Arts Academy as part of the historical core of the city, affirming and strengthening its functions within the city. A project for the protection and maintenance of an authentic community (students, artists) in the city center, a project against the displacement of downtown Prague.
An additional functional building has been proposed next to the main school building, uniquely situated by the riverbank, which will include art workshops and technological facilities for the school. The buildings are within walking distance, and their functions, life within them, and mutual interactions enliven and enrich the city center. In local urbanism, the building connects to the traditional Prague urban system of linking public and semi-public spaces. The concept of an open urban ground floor, an open communication vertical, accessibility, and utilization of the rooftop landscape serve as architectural motivations for connecting with the life of the city in all dimensions. A crucial aspect is the transformation of the facade of the original primary school into the facade of the fine arts academy, the Fine Arts Academy. The contradiction between the demand for its respectful reconstruction and the new function, new life is resolved by a single architectural intervention, a vertical cut through the entire facade – extending its moral lifespan (95.1% history, 4.9% present).
Working with volumes in relation to traditional courtyards, passageways, working within the logic of the original geometry, working with scale, with the original treatment and modulation of the original structures. Preservation of historical quality (trace, volume, height, proportional relationships, essential and higher-quality details of the historical building). Motivational and working environment of art workshops – wood, metal, plaster, digital technology, robotics, fine arts, design, glass, ceramics, textiles, fashion, graphics, photography, film, jewelry, architecture.