Architectural concept of the reconstruction of the OSA headquarters

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The object was designed as an apartment building, and this function is prescribed both in its shell and in the layout. But it is the seat of an institution, which is not evident from the overall look and feel. We focused on this aspect in the proposal.

The first motive of our concept is the reconstruction of the facade, the adjustment of the color of all elements, the structure of the plaster, the overhaul or the reconstruction of the windows... All this with the aim of adding elegance and delicacy to the house and drawing attention to the fact that OSA is located here.

The second motive is to connect the ground floor more with the street so that OSA acts as an open institution and welcomes its members, employees, but also the public. We achieved this by modifying the facade of the ground floor of the house, which has undergone many changes over the decades. We maximized the glazed areas and connected them on the facade in a linear glass belt, divided by individual frames of openings. This achieved the openness of the layout from street level.

An important element is the modification of the original passage to a through "passage", which invites to the entrance and forms the transverse orientation axis of the house. The arcade is the new main entrance to the building.

The passage leads to the right and left parts of the house. Both parts are visually united by generous glazing and serve several functions at the same time.

The OSA entrance foyer is located in the left part, i.e. the main representative entrance area for employees and members of the union. There is a reception, a filing room, counters, a waiting room and a cafe. The reception is then followed by a vertical communication through the entire house, consisting of a staircase and an elevator. There is also an office and social and technical facilities. In the current form of the proposal, taking into account the program and capacity of the building, the original auxiliary staircase between the three floors is cancelled.

In the right part of the building there is a "public", creative space, where the function of a creative studio is mixed for the purposes of workshops and smaller public events, cultural and social life. There is also a recording studio, social and technical facilities.

Another connecting and orienting element is the materially highlighted longitudinal axis of the house, i.e. the internal chimney walls of the three-stroke. These are fitted with built-in furniture and united with wooden cladding. This solution is prescribed for all floors and thus conceptually connects the entire object.

The third motive is a new solution for office space. In other words, finding a functional and layout solution for the operation of the institution in the form of adaptation of residential layouts to office layouts.

The individual floors are connected by vertical communication. The staircase and elevator are generously connected to the individual office halls on each floor thanks to the glass portal. That is, a social space, an office "lounge". The interior of the hall is defined by the built-in furniture and its specific color grading for each floor. In this way, the longitudinal axis of the house is accentuated and the orientation of the individual floors is defined. In the hall there is a kitchen, relaxation and dining areas, as well as space for informal meetings of employees. The hall is connected to the social and technological facilities. Built-in furniture forms portals for entrances to individual offices.

The way they are solved corresponds to the requirements for a working environment divided into smaller, separate spaces for several people. Again, thanks to built-in furniture in the color of the floor, the longitudinal axis of the house is accentuated. The offices are also equipped with a typical workplace, an informal sitting area, supplemented with greenery and illuminated with appropriate lighting. The working environment is extremely comfortable and "homey".

The fourth and last motive is the definition of the interior solution in terms of material details and color. We work with original elements, materials and details that we refurbish or restore. These are, for example, staircases, original filing cabinets, historical doors and windows. However, we are introducing new elements into the interior, such as glazed areas, reception desks, built-in furniture with color solutions, lighting, furniture and greenery. 

 

All these motifs are interconnected and will be part of a complex architectural work, influenced by many contexts. With our solution, we continue the historical development and create another structural transformation of this house. The output of our work will be a clear and project-defined idea of what the new form of the OSA headquarters should look like. The result will be a new house with a century of history...

tank, located below ground level in the yard.