Refurbishment and Restore Issue 26 | Page 4

Photos : BoysPlayNice

LOFT WITH LOVE

At the end of the 19th century , the First Municipal Brewery was a landmark site , associated with the national and local pride of beer brewing , ‘ across the river ’ from the City proper . It was born of Industrial Revolution Prague , along with the nearby Prague Slaughterhouse campus and the Prague Fairgrounds , which hosted World Expo events during the same period . Today , the former First Municipal Brewery , now known as Holešovický Pivovar , is an awardwinning , vital and successful urban regeneration project , spanning four city blocks .
The Holešovický Pivovar campus was originally refurbished in 2008 by CMCARCHITECTS , and won Project of the Year in 2009 . We returned to the project , after ten years , when a CMC client bought one of the large spaces in the former fermentation building . The converted fermentation building accommodates a total of forty loft-type flats ; half of them are real industrial lofts in original storage cubicles , six were built during the conversion of the building ’ s front section and fourteen are in the new , super-positioned addition towards the square ( former industrial courtyard ).
The loft space is 5,5 meters wide , 6 meters high and 22 meters long . On its West end it faces the plaza space , where there are often art exhibits , design shows and seasonal markets . Its East end is on an internal courtyard , with a private intermediate space , or forecourt , at its entry . The design brief for CMCARCHITECTS was quite clear – a loft in the spirit of the industrial character of the original brewery campus . Minimalistic , rational beauty – just exposed-brick wall surfaces , a steel staircase , a steel bookcase , a concrete floor and a black ceiling – the ideal loft . The client and the building inspired the design of an open yet introspective space . The loft is surrounded by history , but it ’ s about living modern .
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