<div>Federation House Slavonice at the international exhibition in London</div>
Currently, the Slavonice Community House is being presented at the International Architecture Festival in London. The London Festival of Architecture takes place in the city on the Thames from June 1 to June 30, 2013. As part of this festival, a series of programs and events are taking place, one of which is the exhibition Atlas of the Unbuilt World. Among the sixty architectural models from around the world on display is the Slavonice Community House. In a complementary program on Wednesday, June 11, the architectural concept of the Community House was personally presented by one of the authors, architect Jiří Opočenský.
“The work of the architectural office Opočenský Valouch Architekti on the Community House project was awarded back in 2009 when it received the Hlávka Foundation award. We consider the invitation to the London Festival of Architecture this year as an honor and a success, confirming the quality of the architectural plan for the reconstruction of our Community House. The evaluation from 2009 hinted at the uniqueness of the architectural concept, and our joy is heightened by the fact that today the Community House is being built according to this award-winning concept,” said Olga Žampová, director of Slavonická renesanční, o.p.s., the organization that is the owner and investor of the reconstruction.
“The construction began last June, carried out by Podzimek and Sons, Ltd., and now the construction work is successfully past the halfway point. The house is set to be ceremonially opened in November. The reconstruction project and subsequent two-year pilot operation are financed from European Union sources, under the Operational Program for the Environment.” added Žampová.
On the occasion of the presentation of the Community House in London, key actors - architects, representatives of the construction and investor - answered questions from Mahulena Svobodová, an expert collaborator for the Green Monuments program.
This autumn, the restoration will be completed and operations will commence at the Community House in Slavonice. It will offer environmental educational programs and serve as a social hub for the town.
This former German community house, opened in 1932 on the ground plan of the medieval wall in the historic core of Slavonice, was degraded in the 1980s by an incomplete reconstruction into a cinema; the original interior was destroyed and the house was covered by a number of extensions.
The construction of the new Community House is now in the finishing stages, but more than 10 years have passed since the first ideas of purchasing and revitalizing this dilapidated structure. Slavonická renesanční, o.p.s. - the owner and future user - closely collaborated on the renovation plans with architects Jiří Opočenský and Štěpán Valouch (ov - architects). The main goal is to return the house to its original purpose as a social center for the town, complemented by the requirement for low-energy standards and the instruction that the house itself would be an educational program, an attraction, and a demonstrative example.
The new Community House has a lapidary and typical shape for the place, which also meets the demands for low energy consumption. With regard to the external expression and also the sporadic operation, the house is insulated from the inside. The outer shell of the house consists of a combination of original and new unplastered masonry, in which one can "read" history.
None of this would have been possible without 55 million crowns, 90% of which was covered by a grant from the Operational Programme for the Environment of the Czech Ministry of the Environment, nor without the reliable construction company Podzimek and Sons, which is carrying it all out.
In 2009, the architectural study received the Hlávka Foundation award, and this year it was selected for the international exhibition of the London Festival of Architecture, meanwhile it has been published several times.
Martin Urbánek, Podzimek and Sons, Ltd.
1. What is the most important/interesting aspect of the Community House in Slavonice for you?
The most important aspect of the Community House in Slavonice is the investor's satisfaction with the well-executed work. First and foremost, it is important that the investor and the citizens of Slavonice can take pride in the construction of the Community House, which will serve the citizens and visitors of the town. It's also important that we meet the expectations of the designer and the architect, and that the final result of the construction is such as intended originally. Last but not least, the economic result of our efforts is also important. The most interesting technical aspect is the insulation of the building from the inside.
2. What surprised you the most or was the most challenging during construction?
The most challenging aspect of the Community House in Slavonice was dealing with climate conditions, coordinating demolition work, and the special imprint of formwork into exposed concrete. The entire rough construction was completed in winter, and subsequent work on the facade and roof has been ongoing in constant rainy weather. We're already fed up with all this water... Coordination of demolition work took place in a small area and under the complicated situation of a city monument zone. The exposed concretes have a special joint cut from wooden formwork made of slats of various widths and depths, which also have acoustic functions in sound attenuation.
3. What are you most looking forward to or curious about after its completion?
After the building is completed, I am most looking forward to the view from the foyer into the hall, to the overall interior, to the colors of the toilets, to the exposed concrete, and to the expressions on the faces of people visiting this building. We are also curious about how the Community House will function, which we will definitely be monitoring. We wish the operators a lot of success.
Štěpán Valouch, ov – architects
1. What is the most important/interesting aspect of the Community House in Slavonice for you?
From the beginning, we were interested in the relationship to the unique historical environment of Slavonice. We designed the renovation of the house to fit into the context of the place and for its architecture to be confident. We wish that the house will serve its inhabitants well after its completion. Structurally, the new, mostly concrete construction connects with the old masonry, which brings many atypical construction solutions. Observing the transformation of the house is a joy.
2. What surprised you the most or was the most challenging during construction?
The expectation of the progression of the wall was confirmed and exceeded our expectations. The medieval wall on which the outer wall composed of stone masonry stands is built 5.5 meters below today's terrain level. The wall is more than two meters wide at the base and was established according to archaeologists sometime in the 13th or 14th century. The craftsmanship with which it was constructed is a surprise for us. On the other hand, the construction modifications from the 1980s significantly damaged the structure, and the degree of inconsistency of the masonry hidden under layers of plaster is considerable. We appreciate that discussions about demolishing the entire building and building anew instead of reconstructing it have been overcome. And we are glad for the team that is bringing the construction together, from the foremen and workers on site to good technical supervision.
3. What are you most looking forward to or curious about after its completion?
Moreover, since it is a small miracle that the house will even be completed, we are curious about its integration into city life. We look forward to when the operations are fine-tuned and the house becomes familiar to its users and natural for the residents of Slavonice.
Olga Žampová, Slavonická renesanční, o.p.s.
1. What is the most important/interesting aspect of the Community House in Slavonice for you?
The Community House is a matter of the heart. It is seemingly a mute witness of history in a unique town, in Slavonice. In the reconstruction plan, the new Community House's most important and also most interesting aspect for me is how the architects and, according to them, the building fulfill the requirement to make the house “speak,” to interpret the local heritage. All other parameters of the assignment relate to this; they somehow naturally stem from or connect to it. The words of the evaluative commission of the Hlávka Foundation from 2009 succinctly express it: “... The architectural study of the Community House in Slavonice excels in civility, sensitivity, and quality of its execution. It strives to offer a serious response to fundamental issues of human community in a small town, appropriately responding to the historical context, neither wanting to overturn nor provoke. It has the potential to become a tool for the cultivation of the polis, a source of joy and knowledge...” For me, it is important, interesting, and above all beautiful to be a direct participant in the materialization of this awarded study of the restoration of the Community House in Slavonice.
2. What surprised you the most or was the most challenging during construction?
There is always something happening at the construction site; there is no shortage of surprises or seemingly difficult moments. The construction is managed by an excellent team: architects, site managers, construction supervision, workers, and suppliers. The crucial moments, the most surprising ones I choose without hesitation: the discovery of a massive medieval city wall in the foundations of the Community House. The wall composed of processed quarry stones was discovered last July, thoroughly examined, documented, and then concealed again. The northern outer wall of the Community House stands on it, so the new house grows from old foundations. The second surprising moment was the unforming of the last concrete block, which revealed the rough beauty of the house's construction. I do not wish to tempt fate or belittle the challenges we have faced so far, but I have the feeling that the most challenging part has not yet come.
3. What are you most looking forward to or curious about after its completion?
I look forward to everything; I am curious about everything. I often walk through the house with colleagues. All of us who will work in the house try to be part of this great transformation. We look forward to the activities that will take place in the house - various programs in different spaces - teaching students in the classroom, exhibitions in the gallery and hall upstairs, guided tours of the building, information for tourists at the Grasel Trails Visitor Center, sale of local products, offering books in the reading room, etc. I look forward to the bustling summer season and the quiet of winter. We look forward to awakening, to the next phase of the interesting life of our Community House in Slavonice.
“The work of the architectural office Opočenský Valouch Architekti on the Community House project was awarded back in 2009 when it received the Hlávka Foundation award. We consider the invitation to the London Festival of Architecture this year as an honor and a success, confirming the quality of the architectural plan for the reconstruction of our Community House. The evaluation from 2009 hinted at the uniqueness of the architectural concept, and our joy is heightened by the fact that today the Community House is being built according to this award-winning concept,” said Olga Žampová, director of Slavonická renesanční, o.p.s., the organization that is the owner and investor of the reconstruction.
“The construction began last June, carried out by Podzimek and Sons, Ltd., and now the construction work is successfully past the halfway point. The house is set to be ceremonially opened in November. The reconstruction project and subsequent two-year pilot operation are financed from European Union sources, under the Operational Program for the Environment.” added Žampová.
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On the occasion of the presentation of the Community House in London, key actors - architects, representatives of the construction and investor - answered questions from Mahulena Svobodová, an expert collaborator for the Green Monuments program.
This autumn, the restoration will be completed and operations will commence at the Community House in Slavonice. It will offer environmental educational programs and serve as a social hub for the town.
This former German community house, opened in 1932 on the ground plan of the medieval wall in the historic core of Slavonice, was degraded in the 1980s by an incomplete reconstruction into a cinema; the original interior was destroyed and the house was covered by a number of extensions.
The construction of the new Community House is now in the finishing stages, but more than 10 years have passed since the first ideas of purchasing and revitalizing this dilapidated structure. Slavonická renesanční, o.p.s. - the owner and future user - closely collaborated on the renovation plans with architects Jiří Opočenský and Štěpán Valouch (ov - architects). The main goal is to return the house to its original purpose as a social center for the town, complemented by the requirement for low-energy standards and the instruction that the house itself would be an educational program, an attraction, and a demonstrative example.
The new Community House has a lapidary and typical shape for the place, which also meets the demands for low energy consumption. With regard to the external expression and also the sporadic operation, the house is insulated from the inside. The outer shell of the house consists of a combination of original and new unplastered masonry, in which one can "read" history.
None of this would have been possible without 55 million crowns, 90% of which was covered by a grant from the Operational Programme for the Environment of the Czech Ministry of the Environment, nor without the reliable construction company Podzimek and Sons, which is carrying it all out.
In 2009, the architectural study received the Hlávka Foundation award, and this year it was selected for the international exhibition of the London Festival of Architecture, meanwhile it has been published several times.
Martin Urbánek, Podzimek and Sons, Ltd.
1. What is the most important/interesting aspect of the Community House in Slavonice for you?
The most important aspect of the Community House in Slavonice is the investor's satisfaction with the well-executed work. First and foremost, it is important that the investor and the citizens of Slavonice can take pride in the construction of the Community House, which will serve the citizens and visitors of the town. It's also important that we meet the expectations of the designer and the architect, and that the final result of the construction is such as intended originally. Last but not least, the economic result of our efforts is also important. The most interesting technical aspect is the insulation of the building from the inside.
2. What surprised you the most or was the most challenging during construction?
The most challenging aspect of the Community House in Slavonice was dealing with climate conditions, coordinating demolition work, and the special imprint of formwork into exposed concrete. The entire rough construction was completed in winter, and subsequent work on the facade and roof has been ongoing in constant rainy weather. We're already fed up with all this water... Coordination of demolition work took place in a small area and under the complicated situation of a city monument zone. The exposed concretes have a special joint cut from wooden formwork made of slats of various widths and depths, which also have acoustic functions in sound attenuation.
3. What are you most looking forward to or curious about after its completion?
After the building is completed, I am most looking forward to the view from the foyer into the hall, to the overall interior, to the colors of the toilets, to the exposed concrete, and to the expressions on the faces of people visiting this building. We are also curious about how the Community House will function, which we will definitely be monitoring. We wish the operators a lot of success.
Štěpán Valouch, ov – architects
1. What is the most important/interesting aspect of the Community House in Slavonice for you?
From the beginning, we were interested in the relationship to the unique historical environment of Slavonice. We designed the renovation of the house to fit into the context of the place and for its architecture to be confident. We wish that the house will serve its inhabitants well after its completion. Structurally, the new, mostly concrete construction connects with the old masonry, which brings many atypical construction solutions. Observing the transformation of the house is a joy.
2. What surprised you the most or was the most challenging during construction?
The expectation of the progression of the wall was confirmed and exceeded our expectations. The medieval wall on which the outer wall composed of stone masonry stands is built 5.5 meters below today's terrain level. The wall is more than two meters wide at the base and was established according to archaeologists sometime in the 13th or 14th century. The craftsmanship with which it was constructed is a surprise for us. On the other hand, the construction modifications from the 1980s significantly damaged the structure, and the degree of inconsistency of the masonry hidden under layers of plaster is considerable. We appreciate that discussions about demolishing the entire building and building anew instead of reconstructing it have been overcome. And we are glad for the team that is bringing the construction together, from the foremen and workers on site to good technical supervision.
3. What are you most looking forward to or curious about after its completion?
Moreover, since it is a small miracle that the house will even be completed, we are curious about its integration into city life. We look forward to when the operations are fine-tuned and the house becomes familiar to its users and natural for the residents of Slavonice.
Olga Žampová, Slavonická renesanční, o.p.s.
1. What is the most important/interesting aspect of the Community House in Slavonice for you?
The Community House is a matter of the heart. It is seemingly a mute witness of history in a unique town, in Slavonice. In the reconstruction plan, the new Community House's most important and also most interesting aspect for me is how the architects and, according to them, the building fulfill the requirement to make the house “speak,” to interpret the local heritage. All other parameters of the assignment relate to this; they somehow naturally stem from or connect to it. The words of the evaluative commission of the Hlávka Foundation from 2009 succinctly express it: “... The architectural study of the Community House in Slavonice excels in civility, sensitivity, and quality of its execution. It strives to offer a serious response to fundamental issues of human community in a small town, appropriately responding to the historical context, neither wanting to overturn nor provoke. It has the potential to become a tool for the cultivation of the polis, a source of joy and knowledge...” For me, it is important, interesting, and above all beautiful to be a direct participant in the materialization of this awarded study of the restoration of the Community House in Slavonice.
2. What surprised you the most or was the most challenging during construction?
There is always something happening at the construction site; there is no shortage of surprises or seemingly difficult moments. The construction is managed by an excellent team: architects, site managers, construction supervision, workers, and suppliers. The crucial moments, the most surprising ones I choose without hesitation: the discovery of a massive medieval city wall in the foundations of the Community House. The wall composed of processed quarry stones was discovered last July, thoroughly examined, documented, and then concealed again. The northern outer wall of the Community House stands on it, so the new house grows from old foundations. The second surprising moment was the unforming of the last concrete block, which revealed the rough beauty of the house's construction. I do not wish to tempt fate or belittle the challenges we have faced so far, but I have the feeling that the most challenging part has not yet come.
3. What are you most looking forward to or curious about after its completion?
I look forward to everything; I am curious about everything. I often walk through the house with colleagues. All of us who will work in the house try to be part of this great transformation. We look forward to the activities that will take place in the house - various programs in different spaces - teaching students in the classroom, exhibitions in the gallery and hall upstairs, guided tours of the building, information for tourists at the Grasel Trails Visitor Center, sale of local products, offering books in the reading room, etc. I look forward to the bustling summer season and the quiet of winter. We look forward to awakening, to the next phase of the interesting life of our Community House in Slavonice.
Slavonice, Prague, Třešť, June 11, 2013
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