Interview with designers Roman Vrtiška and Vladimír Žák

We visited the design duo Romana Vrtiška and Vladimír Žák in their studio, where we asked them, among other things, about their study of design, the beginnings of their collaboration, and the project of the new BOCA flooring showroom in Atrium Flora.


You belong to the rising generation of Czech designers. What was your path to design? What brought you to it?
Roman: As far as design is concerned, I was a completely blank slate. My grandfather was a sign painter, but that probably doesn't have much to do with design. However, I was raised in an artistic environment from a young age, and I knew that I would dedicate myself to it one day. I had to carve my own path. The ceramics high school then showed me that I should head in a 3D direction. I started studying ceramics at UMPRUM, and only then did I switch to the design department, which I am currently focused on.
Vladimír: Until I was 20, I didn't know that I wanted to pursue design. Design was actually my life blunder. I studied at a grammar school, and I got into UMPRUM pretty much by accident, but thank God that it happened.

So you both studied at UMPRUM. However, the path to it was winding.
Roman: I must admit that I got into UMPRUM only on my second attempt. Before that, I was at a university in Ústí nad Labem studying ceramics, but after some time I found it too small, both technologically and materially, so I decided it was time to move on.
Vladimír: I tried UMPRUM more out of curiosity, but I wasn't really aiming for it. First, I studied at a grammar school, where I discovered that I could draw quite well, so I tried the entrance exams for UMPRUM because a friend told me about them. For me, it was a turning point in life that set me on a new path.

You create as a design duo; how did your collaboration begin?
Vladimír: We were already in school (UMPRUM), where we were both in the same year. When Roman transitioned from ceramics to design, we started working together more. We graduated in the same year, and our collaboration naturally continued after our studies.
The engine that started and connected our collaboration was the Moods hotel. After studying product design, our first major project was the interior design, which we hadn't done before. It was a turning point for us. From the investors' side, it was in a way a gamble at that time. If they hadn't approached us back then, we might not be sitting here today. Interior design is a completely complex and intricate matter. From construction, through technologies, drawings, atypical processing, and more. Moreover, you work in a team, from the project through various professions, and collaboration is not always easy.

You focus not only on interior design but also on product and graphic design. Which field fulfills you the most?
Roman: For me, product design is still my passion; after all, I have studied it. Product design is, for me, an incredibly cleansing and relaxing activity during which I can detach myself from the myriad of tasks that designing and realizing an interior entails. Product design brings me joy, where the smallest detail is addressed, and perfect proportions are sought.
Vladimír: I have always wanted to be a product designer, to be able to touch things, to play with technologies. I agree with Roman on this. However, currently, we mainly deal with space in any form. We are working on an ice hockey arena, a facade, an exhibition stand; the scope is widening all the time. At least there’s no boredom. I must say that my dream is to design a bridge; it doesn’t have to be anything large, perhaps just a wildlife crossing that will last for about 100 years. Essentially, it would be a large functional product that someone will use. You could say that all of our work is again returning to product design.

How does your collaboration on a new project proceed?
Vladimír: There is a very long road from the idea to the final result. We approach every project very intensively. There are plenty of ideas, and usually, the result does not end with the first one. We gradually develop the thoughts, and it doesn’t matter who came up with them.
Roman: The first vision is always brought by one of us; it never comes together from multiple ideas. Then there’s a crucial brainstorming phase, where hours, days, and weeks of discussing together lead us to a 100% result. Therefore, working in a team is an undeniable advantage for us. This way, we maintain an overview and a healthy distance from the projects. Fortunately, we don’t have regular disagreements; we have similar tastes, but sometimes it does get tense. Considering how much time we spend together, I would say it’s an excellent partnership.

How would you describe your style?
Roman and Vladimír: Each project and client is completely different, so they require something distinct. We like to be radical. But it cannot be said that we have a stylistic or color preference or any particular leanings. Those belong to the space and the client, not us. The professionalism of our work lies in the fact that we can be flexible and individualized in our approach to the client. We primarily design projects in a way that makes our work enjoyable. 80% of our work is creativity, and 20% is the project. Other studios work on the opposite principle. But we don’t want it that way. Why deal unnecessarily with drawings when there are plenty of engineering studios that do that? Our strength lies in creativity.

You have already designed the second showroom for BOCA and are preparing exhibition stands for them at the FOR ARCH fair. How did your collaboration actually start?
Roman and Vladimír: The collaboration with BOCA started on one of our large projects, the KKCG project, for which we were looking for woven vinyl, which we found at BOCA. The collaboration proved to be very beneficial; we were satisfied with their professional approach and the result, and since then we have worked together. Shortly thereafter, BOCA approached us with the design of their first showroom. They were not satisfied with the result of the tender and bet on us. In the end, both sides were pleased.

What do you see as the main advantages of a commercial interior designed by professionals?
Roman: Definitely in PR and marketing. A well-designed public space, especially a showroom that many people visit, allows you to capture people's attention and makes it easier for them to identify and differentiate the company from others. A critical aspect is to evoke in people the feeling that the space is exceptional and that the company is a good partner for them.

To what extent did you have free rein when designing the BOCA showroom?
Roman and Vladimír: We had a clear assignment that the showroom must feature the motif of flooring materials, from which it would be apparent at first glance what the company deals with. It was also necessary to place a fairly large number of samples while maintaining the cleanliness of the space. Conceptually, we had complete freedom.

What was the main idea behind the design of the BOCA showroom?
Roman and Vladimír: We started from the fact that the showroom is a functional space that must primarily serve to showcase samples. Therefore, we came up with the idea that everything would be white. The concept of a white space was based on the idea that the perception of the showcased samples would not be disturbed by anything else. That was the absolutely fundamental idea. The owners liked it very much. We then integrated the motif of flooring materials into the space in the form of a mosaic on the wall, which forms the artistic idea of the entire showroom. It creates a dominant feature of the space and cuts through the pure white area. The mosaic is made up of differently colored carpets with various surfaces to give the client an idea of everything that actually exists. They can examine or even touch it directly. The placement on the wall also has its justification; exploring samples is more comfortable this way, as there is no need to bend down, and there is still space for the white floor. The mosaic was such a prominent idea that it became a sort of icon or identity for BOCA, which makes us very happy.
The cabinets for the samples were designed to be low and closed to keep the space as transparent, open, and readable as possible at first glance. All samples are thus hidden and allow freedom in the space.

Was this design your initial thought, or did you work with others?
Roman and Vladimír: There are always other proposals as well. However, in the case of the BOCA showroom, the idea of a white space with a dominant wall was so unique that we believed in it from the outset.

What led you to propose the dominant carpet mosaic?
Roman and Vladimír: We had the vision of a dominant wall in mind from the moment we first saw the space. Through gradual discussion, we concluded that it would involve carpet tiles that would be maximally irregular. And although it may not seem so, the mosaic is designed down to the details, including the color scheme of the tiles.

The new BOCA showroom in Atrium Flora has a floor area of around 500 m²; how did you solve the spatial arrangement?
Roman and Vladimír: We had many different variations of the spatial arrangement that came from the possibilities of the space. We considered longitudinal or transverse divisions. However, we encountered strict technical limitations that limited us. In the end, we divided the space longitudinally into a public area where the samples are presented and a private, employee area. The final spatial arrangement was the result of long discussions between the two of us, the owners, and the technicians.

In designing the new BOCA showroom, you based it on the proven concept of the original showroom. Why? What do you see as the main differences between them?
Roman and Vladimír: When designing the new showroom, it was clear that we would continue from the concept of the original showroom. It was very successful, it worked with the company’s image, and it would be confusing to change the entire concept that clients were accustomed to. Therefore, it was decided to maintain it or, rather, to evolve it. We wanted to advance the original design a step further. We found it highly enjoyable ourselves. The mosaic, now part of the company’s image, developed in the new showroom into a dynamic curve shape. Another crucial difference between the original and new showroom is that earlier we dealt only with the showroom space, now we address everything as a whole, including the employees’ background. A connecting line needed to be found among them.

In the entire area of the new showroom, you chose a design cement overlay, Microtopping, in white. Why this particular floor?
Roman: The white floor refers to the original concept of a clean space, where each sample literally stands out and is not disrupted by anything else. Essentially, it is a gallery approach. Moreover, Microtopping is a product that BOCA itself offers and implements, so it was a logical choice.

In the employees' area, however, the wooden floor, interestingly composed of different shades of wood and various widths and lengths of the planks, dominates. The wood also extends to the walls. What led you to this choice?
Vladimír: Wooden floors are also newly offered by BOCA, so we thought it was essential to present them in the company’s spaces. Wooden flooring is easy to maintain, durable, and pairs very well with the cement overlay flooring. Additionally, employees will feel more comfortable at work with wood.
Roman: With the different shades of wood, widths, and lengths of the planks, as well as the transition to the wall, we wanted to demonstrate BOCA's possibilities for implementation. Essentially, the showroom is one big sample of their products. We tried to work maximally with their products and also chose non-standard applications that are complex to implement so that clients can see everything BOCA offers.