<wine cellar> U Modráka </wine cellar>

The reconstruction of the cellar in Vrbovec is an example of classic amateurishness based on the rule that the only ones who can hire a novice architect are friends, fools, or, as in this case, family. The design is based on the initial sketch of the investor, who had a clear idea from the beginning of how the proper cellar should look.

Demolition began before the design was finished, and the design process wildly continued even during construction, when the first crew had to be replaced because they were more devoted to the pleasures of the cellar than to the building. Nevertheless, it had its advantages, because the guys were unafraid to carve a three-meter-long skylight into the vault, which is the main element of the entire interior. The second skylight in the vestibule was created because the construction manager miscalculated the number of PZD boards, and it was easier (and ultimately more practical) to create a second skylight than to transport one missing board. During construction, we also learned from the neighbors that the cellar used to be called U Modráka, because when its original owner came out of the cellar, he was completely blue. Therefore, we painted the entrance oak door blue, and we are incorporating the original owner into the name of the cellar as a reminder.

The new building is defined by its front wall and is sunk into the ground from the direction of the roadway. The original old press room has been cleaned, the vault raised, and otherwise preserved, as has the underground corridor for storing wine, carved into the clay subsoil. The archive was created by recycling old concrete posts from the vineyard that were already in the cellar. The roof is planted with meadow grass. The front wall is made of plastered aerated concrete blocks, coated with lime. The new vault is made of concrete prefabricated elements, and the floors are cast concrete, maintaining a five-centimeter gap from the original structures. The windows and doors are handmade by Uncle, just like the rest of all the details from the hardware to the furniture, the chandelier (which is a reminiscence of a wheel from a carriage that once held candles), the staircase, and the fireplace. All the work was carried out by local craftsmen.