New Studio House of Czech Radio

The new Broadcasting Building stands on the site of a demolished structure from the beginning of this century, in direct proximity to the office building OC Vinohrady. At the same time, it closely adjoins the uncompromising development from the seventies of the company STE, formerly Transgas. The studio building is therefore outwardly non-intrusive to its surroundings; its main façade only aligns with the height of the neighboring buildings in Vinohrady, while the side reflective wall today helps to illuminate the rooms of the neighbor, and in the future, it may also be directly connected to further development, completing the urban block. A significant challenge for the site is also the direct proximity of the Vinohrad tunnels of Czech Railways and the metro. Noise and the transmission of vibrations into the building are mitigated by anti-noise springs, which elevate the entire footprint of the studio portion of the structure from the third above-ground floor. The requirements for the internal layout and the different operations that cannot intersect and mutually influence each other led to a long process of verification and searching for the right floor plan. The lack of façade area and the necessity to ensure enough well-lit offices, recording, and broadcasting rooms was one of the reasons for proposing an internal space glazed on two sides, which became, despite its seemingly impractical nature, the center of the building. The only façade facing the street is clad in Scottish sandstone, with large-format panels. The search for the articulation and surface of the façade was difficult due to the emotional connection to the neighboring corner building. The Broadcasting Building on Vinohradská Street, which extends deep into the courtyard towards the new construction, is connected by a three-story bridge directly to the broadcasting workstations. The current operation has thus also predetermined the placement of the studio floors. It was also challenging to design eleven floors of the building so that the levels protruding above the cornice are minimally visible from the street; therefore, the prominent block of offices is set back into the courtyard, on top of the studios. The skeleton of the building is reinforced concrete, with a requirement to preserve as much of the concrete surface in a finished appearance as possible, thus creating a clear impression in the building's interior. Other surfaces made of wood, steel, and glass merely accompany and complement the bare concrete within the house.