Transforming a stable into a hi-tech apartment? Luxury living in the city center can be tried by anyone
The transformation of a seemingly uninhabitable space into a luxurious apartment with minimal operating costs, where anyone can spend the night – this is the principle of the Living Showroom project by the architectural studio Adam Rujbr Architects, which is now opening in Jakubská Street in Prague, on just 36 m².
Living Showroom is a temporary residence, a showcase of original furniture, and an architectural challenge in one. "First of all, it is bed & breakfast accommodation, ideal for lovers of quality modern architecture and for anyone seeking an experience even in their lodging while traveling. At the same time, it is a space with original furniture from Czech creators. So, literally a showroom where one can live,” introduced the project its creator, architect Adam Rujbr.
The tiny apartment was created in the former stable of a house dating back to the mid-16th century at the corner of Jakubská and Rybná Streets. The ground floor space was unused, and few would believe that an attractive residence could be created here. "Since its inception, the building has burned down several times, there used to be a beer tavern here, and the Living Showroom space previously served as a stable or an apartment for a war veteran who lived here with a live bear,” Rujbr described the unusual history of the place.
Despite the apartment being filled with technological "gimmicks" and custom solutions, finances have been kept in check - the investment for the renovation was three-quarters of a million crowns. A large part of the furnishings was provided by partners for whom the Living Showroom is an opportunity to present their offerings to the public in an original way. The apartment features, for example, an intelligent system that controls heating, doors, and other equipment via a mobile app, an interactive glass partition that transforms into a touchscreen and speaker at the push of a button, and a transparent bathroom located right in the middle of the apartment.
The concept of Living Showroom is built on energy-efficient operation, the use of renewable resources, and self-sufficiency. "I am troubled by how many interesting houses and spaces in city centers remain unused, while construction continues on the outskirts, the cities are unnaturally "sprawling," and commuting to the center is becoming increasingly complicated. That’s why I wanted to show how, for example, an old stable the size of a studio can be transformed into modern and ecological housing,” explained Rujbr.
The idea of revitalizing unused spaces is appealing to other professionals in the field of architecture as well. "This project is an example that it is possible to create compact housing with aesthetic added value even in exposed locations, and without huge financial costs. Additionally, it represents a kind of dialogue between the architect and potential client – architects simulate a high standard of living in an apartment whose spaces were historically used for entirely different purposes, and the client can personally verify the creative innovation of architects and designers, who thereby present their professional opinion directly in the field,” stated the director of the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, Dan Merta.
The apartment in Prague's Jakubská Street is not the first Living Showroom project in the Czech Republic. The pilot project was realized by Adam Rujbr Architects three years ago in Brno, where the first Living Showroom of just 21 m² was created in the former laundry room of a tenement building. Now the goal of the project is to create a franchise network of Living Showroom apartments, always utilizing atypical abandoned spaces in the centers of large cities.
More information about the Living Showroom project can be found at www.livingshowroom.cz
Living Showroom is a temporary residence, a showcase of original furniture, and an architectural challenge in one. "First of all, it is bed & breakfast accommodation, ideal for lovers of quality modern architecture and for anyone seeking an experience even in their lodging while traveling. At the same time, it is a space with original furniture from Czech creators. So, literally a showroom where one can live,” introduced the project its creator, architect Adam Rujbr.
The tiny apartment was created in the former stable of a house dating back to the mid-16th century at the corner of Jakubská and Rybná Streets. The ground floor space was unused, and few would believe that an attractive residence could be created here. "Since its inception, the building has burned down several times, there used to be a beer tavern here, and the Living Showroom space previously served as a stable or an apartment for a war veteran who lived here with a live bear,” Rujbr described the unusual history of the place.
Despite the apartment being filled with technological "gimmicks" and custom solutions, finances have been kept in check - the investment for the renovation was three-quarters of a million crowns. A large part of the furnishings was provided by partners for whom the Living Showroom is an opportunity to present their offerings to the public in an original way. The apartment features, for example, an intelligent system that controls heating, doors, and other equipment via a mobile app, an interactive glass partition that transforms into a touchscreen and speaker at the push of a button, and a transparent bathroom located right in the middle of the apartment.
The concept of Living Showroom is built on energy-efficient operation, the use of renewable resources, and self-sufficiency. "I am troubled by how many interesting houses and spaces in city centers remain unused, while construction continues on the outskirts, the cities are unnaturally "sprawling," and commuting to the center is becoming increasingly complicated. That’s why I wanted to show how, for example, an old stable the size of a studio can be transformed into modern and ecological housing,” explained Rujbr.
The idea of revitalizing unused spaces is appealing to other professionals in the field of architecture as well. "This project is an example that it is possible to create compact housing with aesthetic added value even in exposed locations, and without huge financial costs. Additionally, it represents a kind of dialogue between the architect and potential client – architects simulate a high standard of living in an apartment whose spaces were historically used for entirely different purposes, and the client can personally verify the creative innovation of architects and designers, who thereby present their professional opinion directly in the field,” stated the director of the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, Dan Merta.
The apartment in Prague's Jakubská Street is not the first Living Showroom project in the Czech Republic. The pilot project was realized by Adam Rujbr Architects three years ago in Brno, where the first Living Showroom of just 21 m² was created in the former laundry room of a tenement building. Now the goal of the project is to create a franchise network of Living Showroom apartments, always utilizing atypical abandoned spaces in the centers of large cities.
More information about the Living Showroom project can be found at www.livingshowroom.cz
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