Atelier DRNH – Praise of the Place

The Antiquarian and Club Fiducia and architectural historian Martin Strakoš invite you to an author presentation by the architectural studio DRNH:

March 8, 2012 at 18:00 Atelier DRNH – Praise of Place

An author presentation of the award-winning studio focused on architecture that derives its idea and concept from the context of the building, i.e., from the very place itself. During its twenty-year existence, the members of the studio have had the fortune to design and realize a number of interesting buildings in demanding historical or natural environments.

The Brno-based Atelier DRNH has been in existence since 1991. It was founded by two architects and classmates from the Brno University of Technology – Antonín Novák and Petr Valenta. Almost everyone who tries to get from the train station to the bus station in Brno passes through the Vaňkovka shopping gallery, which is the work of the Hrůša & Pelčák studio. However, fewer people notice that there is another building here, which is a true gallery. In close contact, hiding from lovers of modern art, is the Wannieck Gallery, which was created from a former machine hall, and its successful conversion was carried out by architects from Atelier DRNH.
"In general terms, we in the studio think about the category of time, about aging and changing materials, about overgrowth, soiling, and wetting. We somewhat actually think about what we are constantly trying to stubbornly defend against by building and repairing, and what exists naturally and creates, in some cases, an unrepeatable charm of old, ordinary things that are, in a way, confidently obvious." says Petr Valenta about his relationship with architecture and history.

In recent years, this studio has been particularly associated with outstanding realizations of swimming pools. The first of these is the reconstruction and extension of the summer swimming area at Kraví Hora in Brno. The architects' task was to reconstruct the existing swimming area from the 1960s and implement a new enclosed swimming pool into its grounds. For the skillfully executed realization of the pool at Kraví Hora, the studio received the Grand Prix and Grand Prix of the Architects' Association in 2005, as well as a nomination for the prestigious European competition exhibition for the best realizations, the Mies van der Rohe Award.

Kraví Hora subsequently became a natural reference for another project. The town of Litomyšl, famous for its enlightened approach to quality architecture, decided to build an indoor pool and did not hesitate to ask the architects from Atelier DRNH. The pool in Litomyšl is just another confirmation of the studio's quality – especially its skill in utilizing the properties of the plot and the naturalness of construction materials to the benefit of the result. The object was designed according to the principles of landscape architecture and meets all parameters of an energy-efficient building. A successful conclusion to the story of the indoor swimming pool in Litomyšl is the Grand Prix of the Architects' Association 2011 award in the new building category.

In addition to the aforementioned successes in the field of swimming pool architecture, DRNH is the author of other positively rated realizations. In each of them, emphasis is always placed on understanding the context of the territory, the genius loci of the given place, and the subsequent sensitive integration of the building into the historical environment. In Brno, let’s mention, among other things, the reconstruction of the Reduta Theatre in Zelný Trh completed in 2005. In collaboration with architect and scenographer Miroslav Melena and artist Petr Kvíčala, they managed to give the Reduta a fitting new face that references its original purposes. A year after completion, the Reduta received the 1st Grand Prix award in the reconstruction category and also the title of Building of the Year 2006.

The residential complex Na Krutci is an example of a Prague realization. In cooperation with the main coordinators of the design, Brno architects Ladislav Kuba and Tomáš Pilař, the studio created luxurious terraced houses here. The complex of apartment buildings Na Krutci was nominated for the European Prize for Architecture Mies van der Rohe Award 2008.

Recently, Atelier DRNH has been focusing mainly on reconstructions. We can look forward to the realization of the structural restoration of the Květná Garden in Kroměříž.

Admission is voluntary; we recommend reserving seats at tel: 596117312, or in person at the antiquarian (Mon-Fri 10-18).

THE ANTIQUARIAN AND CLUB FIDUCIA EVENTS ARE SUPPORTED BY: The Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Open Society Fund Prague, The Statutory City of Ostrava, The Municipal District of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz, The Foundation for Czech Architecture, The Czech Chamber of Architects, The OKD Foundation, MUDr. David Feltl.