For All Its Fresh Storage, a Small Prague Apartment Keeps Its Historic Feel

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Project Details:

Location: Prague, Czech Republic

Architect: Martin Cenek Architecture

Footprint: 530 square feet

Cabinetry Design: Interiery Furmanek

Photographer: Alex Shoots Buildings / @alex.shoots.buildings

From the Architect: "My apartment is located in a building from the late 1930s, an honest embodiment of architectural modernism, a classic Prague tenement house from that era, with a tiled facade and small apartments. It was designed by architect Ladislav Šimek and built by his brother, Jaroslav. The reconstruction of the apartment took almost 10 years. The questions I asked myself during the process of renovation were mainly focused on the conflict between preserving the strong spirit of the place and the degree of embodying the imprint of my own identity and invention.

"A complete architectural ‘update’ was carried out, including all technical equipment, floor construction, and all surfaces. I exposed and cleaned the reinforced concrete ceiling in the living room (otherwise covered with soffit and plaster) and make it an original artistic element. The original windows, doors, and all their respective fittings were renovated. The original oak parquet flooring was replaced with an exact replica. The layout change consisted mainly in the new use of the original kitchen and the complete demolition of the original pantry and bathroom, which were replaced by a new inserted furniture block containing storage spaces, a hidden generous bathroom, and part of the kitchen. This new layer uses traditional materials (a combination of stained oak veneers and white lacquer), but in a completely new way, where a totally clean, minimalist new space is created. Great care has been taken in the appropriate combinations of original elements and details from the 1930s and new design pieces of furniture and accessories, as well as the choice of materials for all the new, custom-designed built-in furniture, which determines the use of the spaces and their articulation.

"The interior furnishings include elements with a strong personal story, such as a set of four Thonet dining chairs from my great-grandparents’ house, a Thonet armchair and an Anýž table lamp from the 1930s, which were used in the office of my great-uncle, the functionalist Ez12 tubular chair designed in 1930 by Karel Ort for the Gottwald company, ceiling lights, and several works from the same period by the Czech sculptor Jaroslav Horejc, who was connected to our family. They are accompanied by rather minimalist contemporary products, such as the Fusion sofa by studio Nendo.The stool in the hallway, a pink piglet gifted from friends, is a reminder not to always take ourselves too seriously as architects."