Reconstruction of the apartment building Šmeralova
A strong family story has been behind the overall renovation project of the residential building in Prague's Letná from the very beginning.
The original apartment building, reflecting the era of its creation in the early 20th century in both structure and appearance, was purchased in the 1930s by lawyer and hockey representative Karel Hartmann. His versatility was also evident in his bold proposal to transform the building. Two floors were added, along with a massive bay window on the street façade, whose decorative elements were heavily abstracted into a contemporary purist form. Period construction technologies were used for the new interventions – reinforced concrete and steel, cast terrazzo, etc. An additional floor was constructed on the courtyard service building, where Hartmann placed a library of several thousand volumes of bibliophiles, which he received as a reward for his services as a lawyer. His vision of connecting the library and his own apartment with a generous bay window via a walkway above the courtyard remained unfulfilled when the entire family was deported to Terezín.
The following decades and the unfortunate co-ownership with the city district after post-revolutionary restitutions led to the gradual devastation of the building in all its parts. Through persistence and personal dedication, Hartmann's descendants eventually reached an agreement with the city district a few years ago and devoted the same passion to the actual renovation of the house. With a single goal - to pay tribute to their ancestor, whom they never had the chance to meet personally.
Hartmann had to repeatedly defend his interventions in the context of building permits before the Prague city councilors. In the end, a kind of textbook of construction and architecture was created, in which attentive visitors to the house can read according to materials and individual elements that form a harmonious composition. In this approach, we tried to continue with the owners and add a few chapters. Just as the Hartmann family inherited boldness from their grandfather, some responsible officials remain rigid and self-serving. It is as if they do not understand that the values they protect are the result of visions, courage, work, and meaningful changes. Thus, the outcome is more of a commemorative restoration of Hartmann's work. For him and for the conscience of his descendants, it was definitely worth it.
The original apartment building, reflecting the era of its creation in the early 20th century in both structure and appearance, was purchased in the 1930s by lawyer and hockey representative Karel Hartmann. His versatility was also evident in his bold proposal to transform the building. Two floors were added, along with a massive bay window on the street façade, whose decorative elements were heavily abstracted into a contemporary purist form. Period construction technologies were used for the new interventions – reinforced concrete and steel, cast terrazzo, etc. An additional floor was constructed on the courtyard service building, where Hartmann placed a library of several thousand volumes of bibliophiles, which he received as a reward for his services as a lawyer. His vision of connecting the library and his own apartment with a generous bay window via a walkway above the courtyard remained unfulfilled when the entire family was deported to Terezín.
The following decades and the unfortunate co-ownership with the city district after post-revolutionary restitutions led to the gradual devastation of the building in all its parts. Through persistence and personal dedication, Hartmann's descendants eventually reached an agreement with the city district a few years ago and devoted the same passion to the actual renovation of the house. With a single goal - to pay tribute to their ancestor, whom they never had the chance to meet personally.
Hartmann had to repeatedly defend his interventions in the context of building permits before the Prague city councilors. In the end, a kind of textbook of construction and architecture was created, in which attentive visitors to the house can read according to materials and individual elements that form a harmonious composition. In this approach, we tried to continue with the owners and add a few chapters. Just as the Hartmann family inherited boldness from their grandfather, some responsible officials remain rigid and self-serving. It is as if they do not understand that the values they protect are the result of visions, courage, work, and meaningful changes. Thus, the outcome is more of a commemorative restoration of Hartmann's work. For him and for the conscience of his descendants, it was definitely worth it.
ABTSMOLEN
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