Reconstruction of the house on Letenská Street

This is a set of two buildings with a shared inner courtyard of a triangular layout bounded by the wall of the Valdštejn Garden and Letenská Street. Access to the premises is from Letenská Street through an archway. The buildings consist of an older - baroque double-storey corridor structure that separates the inner courtyard from Letenská Street. Part of this structure is the mentioned arched passage to the courtyard. A younger two-storey building from the early 20th century has been added to the courtyard along the boundary wall of the Valdštejn Garden.
The properties underwent extensive complete reconstruction in 1996 and subsequently after the floods in 2002. As part of the renovation, both houses were connected by a glazed corridor with a staircase that balanced the different height levels between the floors of both houses. The interiors, facades, and openings (doors, windows) were reconstructed. The infrastructure and technical facilities of the buildings were completely replaced.

Analysis of the Initial State
The property did not utilize its potential as a historical building and the genius loci of the location in close proximity to the Valdštejn Garden and the view of Prague Castle. The openings only appeared historical, but in proportions and profiling, they were merely cheap kitschy substitutes. The interior floor surfaces, such as tiles, carpets, and wooden floors, were entirely out of aesthetic and craftsmanship standards of the building itself and a representative address, creating a sterile impression of an office complex.
The overall impression of the building was significantly degraded by the use of a systematic all-glass portal, which unsuitably formed the dominant feature of the inner courtyard. The absence of a clear opinion on the arrangement of the inner courtyard led to an overuse for parking, resulting in visitors having to weave between cars.
The entrance connecting corridor did not evoke an adequately noble and representative impression for those arriving, whether through the materials used, the shape and construction of the staircase, or the overall arrangement. It resembled rather a hodgepodge of necessity than representative shared spaces of the house.

Assignment - Investor's Intent
Overall reconstruction of the property aimed at the historical rehabilitation of both exteriors and interiors. Utilization of potential through a roof extension of the lower part covered by the Valdštejn wall and covering the corridor. Improvement of visual contact with the panorama of Prague Castle by designing a terrace and reorganizing floor plans with a complete revision of the technological back-end in consideration of operational economics.

Design
In the exterior, the main emphasis was placed on creating a readable and architecturally interesting impression from the inner courtyard, which is the main entry point into the property. The design addresses both material cultivation and the organization of the courtyard area, primarily clearly delineated pedestrian communication.
A unifying and, in a way, dominant element of the otherwise materially and stylistically fragmented courtyard exterior was proposed as a sculptural pre-wall made of expanded metal. This creates a transition between the older corridor building and the later courtyard installation. This new element simultaneously absorbs the newly designed roof extension and the existing all-glass entrance facade of the connecting corridor. As an analogy for this solution, a motif of a facade densely overgrown with ivy was used, where specific architectural details of the building's facade are lost, but only the outline of the building and window openings can be perceived through some kind of filter.
The mentioned corridor was covered with an all-wood glass roofing in a historicizing style while preserving the original wrought-iron railing.
The technical vestibule was removed from the fully glazed system wall of the connecting corridor and replaced in a new position with atypical wooden doors.
The new roof extension is designed as a lightweight prefabricated wooden structure with a frontal glazed wall in wooden frames. The roofing was handled with a double beaver tail for heritage reasons, with a protective waterproofing due to the low slope.
The essential structural and spatial adjustments were made in the central connecting corridor. We tried to preserve at least the basic structures of the corridor (vertical columns and partially ceiling structures) along with the main arm of the staircase. All other parts were removed and replaced with new ones to clearly delineate the staircase space and rationalize communications. Above the newly designed staircase arm leading to the roof extension, a skylight is realized along the entire length of the arm, allowing simultaneous access to the lower level of the terrace.
The interiors were equipped with completely new surfaces, door fillings, and lighting. From the roof extension above the baroque part, a lightweight footbridge was built from which it is now possible to ascend to the second level of the terrace. The installation also includes a new representative meeting room in place of the original air conditioning engine room.
Heating and cooling of the building, due to the low thermal resistance of the exterior structures with no possibility of insulation, is managed by a modern VRV pump system. The outdoor condensers are hidden at the back of the lower terrace.