- Filip Šlapal
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2007
Text description provided by the architects. The design of the Metropol Hotel results both from the respect to the context of Narodni trida –“The National Avenue” – as well as from the vision of a contemporary vibrant downtown with metropolitan palaces, cafés, restaurants and shops facing the street and all other things that support and accelerate modern urban life. Thus, the entire ground floor of the hotel is reserved for an urban café and restaurant which can be fully connected to the street by use of large-size automatically lifted glass panels.
The hotel is draped in a unique fully glazed high-tech façade, a decking, fluently curved at the top. Depending on the intensity of sunlight, the façade is automatically shaded by the use of motor-operated textile awnings which retract in high winds. The windows close automatically in case of rain or when a guest leaves the room. Upon opening them the heating and cooling are automatically regulated. Large-sized glazing allows stunning views of the city. The constant changeability of the multiple layers of the façade adds to the active part the building plays on one of Prague’s most exclusive and eventful streets.
