Photographer: Benedikt Markel | ArchDaily

A Different Type of Rurality: Designs for Post-Industrial Heritage Transformation

Olivia Poston — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Across the rural terrains of North America and Western Europe, traces of past industry remain embedded in the land: mills rusting in meadows, smokestacks punctuating quiet townscapes, the skeletons of once-thriving economies. For decades, these sites have signified decline through the remnants of an extractive era that has shaped the environment and local identity. The challenges of remediation often encompass technical, environmental, and cultural aspects that require creativity, precision, and sensitivity.

Concert Hall in Karlovy Vary / Petr Hájek Architekti

Valeria Silva — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 03:00:00 +0000

The historic building of the Imperial Spa, completed in 1895, was remarkable in its time for both its architecture and spa technologies. In the second half of the 19th century, groundbreaking inventions were created. Thomas Alva Edison invented the light bulb, Nikola Tesla developed the induction motor, Alexander Bell built the telephone, Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler introduced the first internal combustion engine car, and Henri Giffard designed a steerable airship. During the same era, Jules Verne wrote the novel From the Earth to the Moon, and Claude Monet painted the iconic Impression, Sunrise.

Prague: A Window to the World

Eric Baldwin — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Few cities combine history and contemporary culture like Prague. The so-called "Mother of all Cities" was spared from widespread destruction during World War II, and as a result, its diverse architecture dates back over a millennium. As a political, cultural and economic center of Europe, the city has become a significant metropolis balancing both its past and future as one of the world's most beautiful cities.

Hunting Grounds Pet Crematorium / Petr Hajek Architekti

Paula Pintos — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 07:00:00 +0000

The Drnov Air Defense Site was built to protect the capital city of Prague. It is located about an hour’s drive from the city. Today the area is a frequent destination for the general populace and the main bunker serves as a military museum. The large main underground complex is surrounded by several smaller service bunkers for mobile technology. In one of these, the investor decided to create a crematorium for animals. The investor decided to poetically name their project “Věčná loviště” (Hunting Grounds).

The Kamenice Brewery / OTA atelier

Pilar Caballero — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 20:00:00 +0000

The Kamenice Brewery has been a dominant feature of the city center since the mid-19th century. Since its closure after the World War II, the building served as a vegetable warehouse and the original generous spaces were additionally divided with new walls and concrete ceilings. The restoration proposal had three fundamental levels. Clean up valuable parts of the building from insensitive conversions, propose effective spatial layout for brewery areas and new functions, and to add a contemporary architectural expression.

Old Water and Observatory Tower in Prague / Petr Hájek ARCHITEKTI

Pilar Caballero — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 04:00:00 +0000

The complex of the former waterworks on Letná has undergone several conversions since it was constructed in the second half of the 19th century but only the water tower has been preserved in its original form. The technical buildings, including the steam machine engine room, were demolished and replaced with multi-story annexes. In recent decades the complex has been used as a youth centre and will retain this function once it has been renovated.

Centre for Contemporary Art DOX+ / Petr Hajek Architekti

Daniel Tapia — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 06:00:00 +0000

The DOX+ complex of buildings expands the DOX Contemporary Art Centre in Prague, the Czech Republic. The original complex focusing on exhibition areas was expanded by special areas for dance, music, film and a school of architecture. DOX+ consist of three buildings: administrative with the school of architecture, an experimental music and dance hall and a dance rehearsal room. The buildings are a single unit from the architectural aspect and this principle is symbolically expressed by the unified grey color and fluid interconnection of all parts into one whole. As a result, the complex can be perceived as a single structured statue.

KCEV / Petr Hajek Architekti

Karen Valenzuela — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 01:00:00 +0000

The KCEV (Krkonose Mountains Centre for Environmental Education) building is situated into a city park in front of the administration building of KRNAP (Krkonoše Mts. National Park). The building geometry is derived from the geometry of Krkonoše Mountains.

Chameleon House / Petr Hajek Architekti

Karen Valenzuela — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The house is located in the centre of a garden. Each single room is oriented to one of the trees. The living room faces the apple tree, the master bedroom, the cherry tree, the bathroom faces the peach tree, the guest room, the silver spruce and the children’s room, the walnut. Each room has its unique view and atmosphere.