petr janda / brainwork occupies circular vaults within historic riverfront of prague

after a decade of development, petr janda and his firm ‘brainwork’ have completed an architectural revitalization of the prague riverfront. originally built as a quay and shipment point, the area was deserted after flooding in 2002 and had since been used as a car park. with gradual program activation, the design team has achieved a cultural and social revival within a public space of city-wide significance, along the ‘spinal cord’ of the city: the vltava river. on the regulated areas of the banks, the riverfront architecture becomes the backbone of the city, which through its individual embankments, holds the the entire urban structure, or skeletal system, of the city.

all images by boysplaynice

with the revitalization of the prague riverfront, petr janda / brainwork focuses on the reconstruction of 20 vaults in the riverside wall, which had originally been used as areas for ice storage. rather than introducing classic interiors, the vaults are merged with the exterior with maximum contact with the riverfront. the vaults will serve as cafés, clubs, studios, workshops, galleries, a library branch, public restrooms, and other spaces for gathering. the design works with modular diversity, as the vaults are designed as a detailed base that includes all operational and technical facilities and a volume that can be shifted to different positions.

the revitalization of the riverfront expresses interventions that harmoniously merge with the original architecture of the existing wall. the team seeks to introduce the most direct connection with the riverfront area with the maximum opening between the spaces within the wall. the six vaults on the rašín embankment are built following the near circular arc of the upper part of the existing openings. the design is based on a minimal intervention, which adds little, but elevates the existing quality with a contemporary language.

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project info:

title: revitalization of prague riverfront

architecture: petr janda / brainwork

lead architect: petr janda

location: rašín, hořejší and dvořák embankments, prague, czech republic

completion: 2019

photography: boysplaynice