Villa Šín

Vila Šín is a historical building constructed in the second half of the 19th century as a summer residence for a wealthy owner of an ironworks. The villa is situated in the center of a beautiful garden, which was established along with the villa and, with its area and diverse vegetation, more resembles a park. The villa benefits from its stunning location on the slopes of the Sedlec cliffs, allowing for panoramic views of the Vltava Valley bends. Over time, the villa naturally became a landmark of this almost forgotten district of Prague. Throughout its rich history, it has passed through the hands of several owners, each leaving their architectural mark. Originally an Italian villa topped with a gabled roof and dominated by a covered lookout tower, the villa transformed into an "aristocratic" residence at the end of the 19th century with a new owner. The roof overhangs were removed and roof parapets added, which increased the compositional height of the structure. The space in the lookout tower began to be used as an office, and above it a viewing terrace was established with a characteristic battlement that gave the building its unmistakable expression. In the 1950s, the villa was adapted for accommodation purposes. Unfortunately, during this construction period, nearly all original historic fragments were removed. Only two original wooden coffered ceilings and a few window frames have been preserved from the interior furnishings. The most significant intervention from this era was the addition of sanitary facilities, which were attached to the southern side of the house. The last renovation took place in 2004, during which the representative entrance staircase was unfortunately removed.
Given the attractive and historically valuable nature of the architectural work as a whole, we felt no need for radical authorial interventions and felt a natural need to honor the work of the villa's original author. We adhered to the motto "why improve something that is already nearly perfect." As a result, we focused on substantial construction interventions that would bring more than mere aesthetic flamboyance. The aim was to transform the villa into a functional tool for its new purpose without significant financial resources. It was necessary to sensitively place an architectural studio, two apartments, and three exhibition spaces within the villa. Operational pedestrian and vehicular access, including sufficient parking areas, had to be built.
All construction interventions were carried out with the condition of preserving the authenticity of the site and creating a unified functional and aesthetic whole that would benefit not only from the quality of the historical legacy but would also showcase our many years of experience in the field of architecture and our overall obsession with this beautiful discipline.

This is a four-story building with a fifth floor structurally prepared for the creation of a communal library space. The complete building renovations included interior and exterior interventions, the addition of external staircases, and paved surfaces. The construction modifications included changes to the internal layouts, surfaces, and structures, improved acoustic and thermal insulation parameters, and installation of electrical, heating, and plumbing systems. Additionally, selected parts of the building were fitted with new window and door fillings, and in some locations, original openings were enlarged or repositioned. In selected areas, the facades were fully insulated using the ETICS system, and the lower structure was thermally and hydroisolation treated and supplemented with drainage. The historic facade was sensitively restored, and non-original alien elements were removed. The partially submerged basement, originally used solely as a technical background consisting of numerous separate rooms, was mostly demolished to create a single gallery space. To increase the height, the original floors were lowered, resulting in the overall insulation of the walls and floors. Additionally, the lower part of the building was insulated, including floors, and the outdoor ground in front of the entrance was renovated. Thanks to the significant lowering of the terrain, the partially submerged basement transformed into a ground-level showroom with its own entrance, benefiting from direct connection to the garden.
The total area of the villa and the former caretaker's house spans 600 m², and together with the garden area, which reaches nearly 3500 m², it creates the Villa Šín complex, a versatile exhibition space for various uses.
The villa houses, alongside the architectural studio of Luky Križka - IO Studio, the German lighting manufacturer SLV, which operates in over 50 countries worldwide. Additionally, FORMDESIGN, a family company with a thirty-year tradition, is among the leading Czech manufacturers of custom interiors with its own collection of seating, table, and office furniture. In a separate house, the flooring studio TRIMAR PARKET operates.