Raiffeisen Center Prague
Publisher
Tisková zpráva
11.06.2006 08:00
Tisková zpráva
11.06.2006 08:00
The main task of the current administrative building is to be well and economically constructed, provide a user-friendly operation and modern infrastructure, be located in a good place, and last but not least, be beautiful. The Raiffeisen Center in Prague at Budějovická is an example of when a quality response is found to all the requirements of the brief.
Realizing a beautiful and interesting administrative building today is not an easy task. Hard laws of the real estate market apply to office buildings. Rational proven solutions are required, and there is no room for experiments. Often, the architect's task is only to devise the simplest flexible layout and cover the building with a shiny coat that will attract potential tenants. However, at the Raiffeisen Center, thanks to the plot and the architects, this common scenario did not repeat itself.
The author of the Raiffeisen Center building is the architectural studio of the Kordovský couple, whose portfolio largely consists of office buildings. At Budějovická, the architects had to cope not only with operational requirements but also with difficult construction conditions. The administrative center is located directly above the northern vestibule of the metro station. The “bridging” motif became the main artistic element on the façade of the building, distinguishing it from other office buildings in the vicinity and throughout Prague.
The final form of the building underwent significant development during the design process. The original plot was reduced due to restitution claims, and the structure of the building also underwent changes. The intended “machinist” constructivist element of bridging evolved into a more refined, non-dominant form and became part of the interior. The prominent load-bearing structure is thus placed in the background, while the main artistic role is taken by the material solution of the façade areas.
The mass of the Raiffeisen Center creates one side of the planned Budějovické Square. The Kordovský studio is already very familiar with this location from its past projects. Given the enormous volume of surrounding buildings, careful attention must be paid to working with scale and the sensitive integration of the building into the vibrant environment of the urban sub-center. The colorful commercial ground floor of the Raiffeisen Center with restaurants, shops, and a banking hall creates a foundation for quality urban life, unfortunately, significantly affected by surrounding automobile traffic.
Structurally, the Raiffeisen Center is built as a reinforced concrete monolithic skeleton. With its 14 above-ground and 3 underground floors, it is the tallest building ever designed by the Kordovský studio. The building's substructure was very demanding because it is located in an area with a high groundwater level, which also has aggressive characteristics. All masonry constructions in the basement, where besides the building's technological equipment, there are also 222 parking spaces, were executed in the YTONG aerated concrete block system. Designers appreciate the fast drying of the aerated concrete blocks, into which moisture inevitably penetrates during construction. The practical properties of YTONG also include precise masonry and its easy processing.
The structure of the facade cladding consists of both a reinforced concrete monolith and masonry made of YTONG aerated concrete blocks. The external surface of the facade is covered with glass and Alucobond panels. YTONG blocks were primarily used on cantilevered parts. The lightness of the aerated concrete became the only solution when expanding the office spaces using protruding individual floors. Thanks to these compositional and structural nuances, the Raiffeisen Center building does not appear dull, but rather has flair. This impression is also enhanced by the color scheme of the façade and interior. Vivid shades of yellow, red, and blue contrast with the prevailing monochromatic color of the façade. The Kordovský studio has successfully met the challenging brief.
Raiffeisen Center Prague
Address: Prague 4, Olbrachtova 9
Authors: Kordovská or Kordovský architects s.r.o. (Ing. arch. Petr Kordovský, Ing. arch. Tomáš Podpěra, Ing. arch. Jolana Plháčková, Ing. arch. Pavlína Šlaisová, Ing. arch. Andrea Dupalová, Ing. Michal Pokorný)
Investor: Raiffeisen Property Invest s.r.o.
Contractor: .ZUBLIN a.s
Building footprint: 1,400 m2
Built volume: 67,000 m3
Project processing period: 1990 - 2002
Construction period: 2001 - 2003
Realizing a beautiful and interesting administrative building today is not an easy task. Hard laws of the real estate market apply to office buildings. Rational proven solutions are required, and there is no room for experiments. Often, the architect's task is only to devise the simplest flexible layout and cover the building with a shiny coat that will attract potential tenants. However, at the Raiffeisen Center, thanks to the plot and the architects, this common scenario did not repeat itself.
The author of the Raiffeisen Center building is the architectural studio of the Kordovský couple, whose portfolio largely consists of office buildings. At Budějovická, the architects had to cope not only with operational requirements but also with difficult construction conditions. The administrative center is located directly above the northern vestibule of the metro station. The “bridging” motif became the main artistic element on the façade of the building, distinguishing it from other office buildings in the vicinity and throughout Prague.
The final form of the building underwent significant development during the design process. The original plot was reduced due to restitution claims, and the structure of the building also underwent changes. The intended “machinist” constructivist element of bridging evolved into a more refined, non-dominant form and became part of the interior. The prominent load-bearing structure is thus placed in the background, while the main artistic role is taken by the material solution of the façade areas.
The mass of the Raiffeisen Center creates one side of the planned Budějovické Square. The Kordovský studio is already very familiar with this location from its past projects. Given the enormous volume of surrounding buildings, careful attention must be paid to working with scale and the sensitive integration of the building into the vibrant environment of the urban sub-center. The colorful commercial ground floor of the Raiffeisen Center with restaurants, shops, and a banking hall creates a foundation for quality urban life, unfortunately, significantly affected by surrounding automobile traffic.
Structurally, the Raiffeisen Center is built as a reinforced concrete monolithic skeleton. With its 14 above-ground and 3 underground floors, it is the tallest building ever designed by the Kordovský studio. The building's substructure was very demanding because it is located in an area with a high groundwater level, which also has aggressive characteristics. All masonry constructions in the basement, where besides the building's technological equipment, there are also 222 parking spaces, were executed in the YTONG aerated concrete block system. Designers appreciate the fast drying of the aerated concrete blocks, into which moisture inevitably penetrates during construction. The practical properties of YTONG also include precise masonry and its easy processing.
The structure of the facade cladding consists of both a reinforced concrete monolith and masonry made of YTONG aerated concrete blocks. The external surface of the facade is covered with glass and Alucobond panels. YTONG blocks were primarily used on cantilevered parts. The lightness of the aerated concrete became the only solution when expanding the office spaces using protruding individual floors. Thanks to these compositional and structural nuances, the Raiffeisen Center building does not appear dull, but rather has flair. This impression is also enhanced by the color scheme of the façade and interior. Vivid shades of yellow, red, and blue contrast with the prevailing monochromatic color of the façade. The Kordovský studio has successfully met the challenging brief.
Raiffeisen Center Prague
Address: Prague 4, Olbrachtova 9
Authors: Kordovská or Kordovský architects s.r.o. (Ing. arch. Petr Kordovský, Ing. arch. Tomáš Podpěra, Ing. arch. Jolana Plháčková, Ing. arch. Pavlína Šlaisová, Ing. arch. Andrea Dupalová, Ing. Michal Pokorný)
Investor: Raiffeisen Property Invest s.r.o.
Contractor: .ZUBLIN a.s
Building footprint: 1,400 m2
Built volume: 67,000 m3
Project processing period: 1990 - 2002
Construction period: 2001 - 2003
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