Cooperation through communication and partnering
The communication and dialogue between client and architect can result in either a genius or a disastrous result. ‘If there has been a joyous dialogue and mutual understanding, the result will always reflect it. If the client is generous and with a clear programme giving you at least some amount of freedom, and if his vision can be carried out in detail, the outcome may be quite interesting. It is clear that there is a limit to the architect’s freedom as each house has its own rules and architecture develops on the basis of certain limitations. Besídka owes its present-day appearance to the client, Mr. Boháč’s diverse activities, his strong feelings for the house and his almost foolish ideas’, adds Roman Koucky.
However, the most important role was played by the contractor who had a clear understanding of his task, worked determinedly and gained the client’s full confidence while being aware of the fact that the task consisted of the search for the best form, material or solution. All the work took place in this fundamental triangle – client, architect and contractor.
‘It is important that everybody plays his/her own unique role in the construction process. The contractor was in this case just a group of local guys. At the end they formed the ‘Building Chamber Ensemble’, which is still existing today. For the most part these people created it all with their hands – the craft and the details were important’, tells Roman Koucky. Many people of different professions, including artists and specialized craftsmen, were involved in Besídka’s renewal. For instance, the ceramic designer Martin Ceplecha realized the sculptural part of the house and many artists participated in painting tiles.
Cooperation through communication and partnering
The communication and dialogue between client and architect can result in either a genius or a disastrous result. ‘If there has been a joyous dialogue and mutual understanding, the result will always reflect it. If the client is generous and with a clear programme giving you at least some amount of freedom, and if his vision can be carried out in detail, the outcome may be quite interesting. It is clear that there is a limit to the architect’s freedom as each house has its own rules and architecture develops on the basis of certain limitations. Besídka owes its present-day appearance to the client, Mr. Boháč’s diverse activities, his strong feelings for the house and his almost foolish ideas’, adds Roman Koucky.
However, the most important role was played by the contractor who had a clear understanding of his task, worked determinedly and gained the client’s full confidence while being aware of the fact that the task consisted of the search for the best form, material or solution. All the work took place in this fundamental triangle – client, architect and contractor.
‘It is important that everybody plays his/her own unique role in the construction process. The contractor was in this case just a group of local guys. At the end they formed the ‘Building Chamber Ensemble’, which is still existing today. For the most part these people created it all with their hands – the craft and the details were important’, tells Roman Koucky. Many people of different professions, including artists and specialized craftsmen, were involved in Besídka’s renewal. For instance, the ceramic designer Martin Ceplecha realized the sculptural part of the house and many artists participated in painting tiles.
Roman and Martina Portyková koucky-arch.cz | Czech Republic | Photographer: Ester Havlová
Besídka – go there or check it out on www.besidka.cz
Besídka is the story of an old Renaissance building in the Czech Republic that has been reborn as multi-cultural art hotel through a vital, gentle and yet expressive loft conversion.
Functionality and divisions
There are three levels in the house: The pub with all its facilities downstairs and two levels with guest rooms adding up to 8 rooms in the hotel altogether. The number 8 is because there were 8 original members of the Sklep Theatre. Each room is dedicated to one of them – one room to each patron.
‘The intention with the pub was to maintain the atmosphere from when it was opened shortly after the Velvet Revolution and as accumulated over the 15 years of its existence. Although the pub, the kitchen and facilities needed a costly refurbishment, regular guests came and said: ‘Hey, how nice, you’ve painted the place’. For us this was a sign that we had managed to fulfil the task of maintaining the atmosphere that the guests were used to – the characteristic ‘Besídka’ atmosphere’, smiles Roman Koucky.
Genius loci
– and light impressions under the attic The first floor is dominated by the original vaults, historic spaces and, in many cases, perfectly preserved stucco. In fact the hotel rooms have just been inserted into these historic spaces, which give and keep the feel of historic air and space. The luminosity that most of the windows give, comes from where the window openings were placed originally. In these rooms only some new materials, colours and built-in bathroom and wardrobe units have been gently added.
The second floor contains the attic where new room divisions have been integrated into the existing attic during the revitalization process. ‘We tried to make it look as if there was no attic at all, and only in one room out of five you can actually see angled walls finished with brown wooden planks. This is the room called ‘Mr. Žampa’, who was the only patron of Sklep Theatre who came from Slavonice. All the other rooms were designed to virtually eliminate the awareness of the attic structure. That is the reason of the curved, wooden vaults and why we placed the lights in such a way as to confuse you about where the light comes from. The whole space is warped to hide the angled walls. I think we managed to eliminate the feeling of being in an attic without altering the roof or using large roof or dormer windows.
It’s not enough to spend one night there. You have to stay there at least eight times. Each room looks different at dawn and at dusk. And each room has its unique atmosphere and view’, describes Roman Koucky.
Cooperation through communication and partnering
The communication and dialogue between client and architect can result in either a genius or a disastrous result. ‘If there has been a joyous dialogue and mutual understanding, the result will always reflect it. If the client is generous and with a clear programme giving you at least some amount of freedom, and if his vision can be carried out in detail, the outcome may be quite interesting. It is clear that there is a limit to the architect’s freedom as each house has its own rules and architecture develops on the basis of certain limitations. Besídka owes its present-day appearance to the client, Mr. Boháč’s diverse activities, his strong feelings for the house and his almost foolish ideas’, adds Roman Koucky.
However, the most important role was played by the contractor who had a clear understanding of his task, worked determinedly and gained the client’s full confidence while being aware of the fact that the task consisted of the search for the best form, material or solution. All the work took place in this fundamental triangle – client, architect and contractor.
‘It is important that everybody plays his/her own unique role in the construction process. The contractor was in this case just a group of local guys. At the end they formed the ‘Building Chamber Ensemble’, which is still existing today. For the most part these people created it all with their hands – the craft and the details were important’, tells Roman Koucky. Many people of different professions, including artists and specialized craftsmen, were involved in Besídka’s renewal. For instance, the ceramic designer Martin Ceplecha realized the sculptural part of the house and many artists participated in painting tiles.
Historic background and location
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989 the Renaissance house with Gothic foundations in Slavonice was bought by a community from the Sklep Theatre in Prague and turned into a ‘Besídka’: An unconventional cultural house and hotel containing guest rooms, a pub and physical opportunities for artistic summer workshops.
‘Besídka’ is not only associated with the Sklep Theatre, but also with Maříž pottery and many other artists. Also the ‘Summer School of Spiritual Experiment’, which took place throughout the 1990’s, has been part of the official programme with workshops devoted to art, music, theatre and virtually any subject that struck the users’ interest (mainly students and tutors).
According to the architect Roman Koucky from the company koucky-arch.cz, ‘Besídka’ served as a meeting place or central point for a long time and up to the late 1980’s it was connecting the more cultivated Prague with the totally depopulated and spiritually drained borderland. ‘Slavonice just wouldn’t be Slavonice without ‘Besídka’.
Thanks to ‘Besídka’ plenty of other events take place in the town, so there is always something happening’, tells Roman Koucky.
Conceptual approach
– the revitalization process
The intense use of the building during the first 15 years after the Velvet Revolution had gradually caused a need for renovation since clear evidence of daily wear began to appear. But the Besídka project did not become a traditional renovation project. ‘Revitalization’ is rather the correct word to explain the essence of the building process. ‘The aim was to transform an ordinary bed-and-breakfast place into a 3-star hotel while retaining the special ‘Besídka’ atmosphere. Maybe an expression like ‘art hotel’ or ‘design hotel’ would be applicable’, tells architect Roman Koucky.
The conceptual work also deals with the historic background since the house itself has a long exciting story. All traces of history tend to create layers and sometimes these layers become so dense that they are almost indiscernible. So we tried to bring out some of these elements, to lift the veil of time – sometimes metaphorically as in the case of creating a black bathroom in the former kitchen area and scullery.
‘I always strive to do things differently, because we live in the 21st century. The impression of space and its formation should correspond to that. If we have the capacity today we did not have in the past, then why not use it? I cannot do things the same way I would have done them in the past. I have to seek a contemporary approach. That’s the basic rule’, ends Roman Koucky.
|
|