ŽIŽKOV - HOUSING

BRIEF:

The project addresses the completion of two infill sites on Husitská Street in Žižkov, in immediate proximity to the park at Vítkov and the adjacent cycle path. The aim of the proposal is to activate a neglected area and create a functionally and operationally interconnected urban ensemble combining housing, work, culture, and public space.

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CONCEPT:

The design works with two distinct yet mutually communicating buildings.
The building oriented more towards the inner courtyard and the park is designed as a multifunctional house for artists, while the building facing Husitská Street is conceived as a residential apartment building with smaller rental units.

The core idea is to create a lively cultural and social hub responding to movement within the area – from cyclists and pedestrians to residents and artists working in studios. The main multifunctional building is designed as a house of shared studios and workspaces intended for rent by artists and creative professions. The building also includes related services, a larger concert and multifunctional hall for concerts, lectures, exhibitions, and cultural events, as well as a smaller exhibition space and a terrace for public use.

An important role is played by the café, located at the level of the cycle path towards Vítkov. The café is accessible both from the exterior and from the internal operations of the building and functions as a connecting element between the public and studio users. The café operation develops vertically over two floors and is complemented by spaces for a local gallery, workshops, and internal lectures.

The ground floor is designed as permeable and open, seamlessly connecting to the inner courtyard, which is conceived as a place for outdoor events, flea markets, and temporary installations. The original industrial chimney is preserved in the design and becomes an identity-forming element of the courtyard. The surface treatment of the ground floor combines various materials and split stone paving.

On the first above-ground floor, there is a club space together with a separate entrance to the studios, as well as access from the underground garages. The building is fully basemented.

The second building, located in the right-hand infill site along Husitská Street, is designed as a six-storey staircase apartment building. The ground floor contains a commercial space, considered for example as a bakery, which is passable into the inner courtyard and activates the street-level parterre.
On the residential floors (2nd–6th floors), 15 rental apartments of smaller and medium sizes are designed, intended both for permanent residents and for visiting artists or students who can use the facilities of the multifunctional building. Apartment layouts range from studio flats of approximately 38 m² to larger units of about 77 m².

The façade facing Husitská Street is designed with a sliding system of shutter panels that cover large-format windows and allow continuous transformation of the building’s appearance depending on use and time of day. The building is also basemented and includes garages.

The project connects housing, work, and culture into one cohesive urban ensemble and responds to the specific character of Žižkov, its industrial past, and its contemporary cultural potential. Emphasis is placed on an active ground floor, public space, and flexibility of use, allowing the site to evolve naturally over time.

Year: 2014

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Author: Anna Nižňanská

Assignment:

Žižkov infill site on Husitská Street – shared studios with a multifunctional hall and a residential apartment building