A building reclaiming its original face

On Belgická street, just a few steps from the intersection with Jana Masaryka street, stands a building that has undergone two major transformations over more than a hundred and forty years. It has stood here since 1883, originally in Neo-Renaissance form. It wasn't until the Art Nouveau reconstruction of 1914 that an extra floor was added, along with balconies facing the street, and the distinctive attic gable that still defines it today.

The 1994 renovation breathed new life into the building: the attic was converted into living space, an elevator was added, and the courtyard was turned into parking, without detracting from the character of the facade.

Now we are writing its next chapter. The building is about to undergo a complete renovation. We will restore what it lost in the past and sensitively add where it feels natural to both the building and its surroundings. A new floor will be added in keeping with the house’s Art Nouveau language. The decorative gable above the attic will remain, and its detail, lost during the last renovation, will be brought back. On the street-facing roof, the balconies will give way to studio windows and roof hatches, a linear dormer will be added on the courtyard side, and the recessed projecting bay will return – a characteristic feature of Vinohrady inner courtyards, which the building had even before 1914.

Both the apartments and the retail space will undergo a layout transformation without altering the building's outward appearance, the inner courtyard will gain tasteful parking spaces, and above all, the building will get its own face back. The original decorative elements will return to the facade and gable. We will also restore the historic entrance gate and the original character of the windows in the common areas.

So the building won't just gain a new floor – it will get itself back.