Red Church in Olomouc

The Red Church was originally a Lutheran shrine. However, since the 1950s, it has been closed to the public and for several decades served as a deposit for books of the Scientific Library in Olomouc. Hopes for a new life for the building arose when the Olomouc Region, as the owner of this heritage-protected structure, decided to build a new building for storing the book collection. Thus, the church could be reconstructed and newly used for cultural purposes. It will now serve as a chamber concert or theater hall, providing space for public readings, lectures, or exhibitions.

The design for the reconstruction comes from Miroslav Pospíšil of the atelier-r studio. Since the church building was in considerably poor condition, it was necessary to start from the very foundations, completely replacing the flooring, and one of the largest interventions was the roof repair. Contemporary artifacts from the workshop of Olomouc sculptor Jan Dostál were added in place of the original decorative elements of the roof that did not survive. To avoid inappropriate interventions in the church structure, the architects decided to supplement it with a new mass that would serve as operational and social facilities. This is located between the main nave of the church and the library's management building, creating a connection and a shared entrance space with a reception and café.

Several designers contributed to the interior design. Atelier-r proposed the concept and invited interior designer Denisa Strmisková to collaborate on the more detailed design, who selected the specific interior elements – lighting, both standard and custom-made furniture, all materials, and surfaces. The new modern extension is dominated by a reception area with a smaller café made of a delicate pink-hued concrete that connects to other concrete surfaces of the floors, furniture, and walls. Large expanses of concrete and glass highlight the decoration in the form of an extensive wall filled with old books turned spine-back with evening backlighting, and striking hanging lights made of colored glass from Lambert & Fils that dominate the space in front of it. Elegant and minimalist colored glass objects float on robust nylon cables above the heads of visitors, reflecting images of the adjacent street or the church building at the right angle. Together, they embrace and define the entire interior. The Kaia floor lamps evoke a modern torch shape and beautifully complement the atmosphere of the church. "In the interior design, I drew upon the original structure of the church in terms of color," explains designer Denisa Strmisková. "The characteristic red bricks have been reflected in a lighter shade of pink concrete in the new extension, creating a soft transition and symbiosis between the two buildings. The modern hanging glass lights are particularly striking, as they introduce color into the generous space of the entrance foyer – the modern extension – and reflect the nearby surroundings: the street and the church itself," adds Denisa Strmisková.

Denisa Strmisková selected notable interior accessories at the concept store MONOBRAND. Its founder, Katrin Grund, explains: "Denisa Strmisková and I first collaborated on the Long Story Short hostel project here in Olomouc. For the Red Church, we chose lighting from the Canadian family workshop Lambert & Fils and cosmopolitan European brand Kaia. The overall impression of the well-thought-out interior is enhanced by the original fittings and electrical installation elements berker R.1 from the renowned Franco-German company Hager."

Visitors can enjoy the mystical atmosphere of the place while seated on precise wooden chairs from Zeitraum made of solid walnut (which appear both in the church and in the modern foyer area), plastic chairs from Hay with the swift design of the Bouroullec brothers, or comfortable minimalist armchairs. The café tables are custom-designed and carry inspiration from the elements of the church into the modern extension through their detail and material. The Red Church in Olomouc has thus become a pleasant crossroads where the energies of spirituality, science, knowledge, culture, encounter, and the all-encompassing aroma of coffee mix together.

www.monobrand.cz
www.hager.cz/vypinac
https://atelier-r.cz
www.denisastrmiskova.com
photo: BoysPlaysNice