The Fountain Villa
A dated Prague home has been fully restored to its original glory as a single family dwelling with a simple, yet functional layout by Mjölk architekti.
The villa with a fountain is a renovated weekend house from the era of the First Republic. When we first saw it, it didn’t look like it does today. It was burdened with deposits that had stuck to it over the years, and its First Republic spark was long gone. Today, the villa shines again. Robust pines stretch over its roof and silver flags of light bounce off the water’s surface into the conservatory. In the distance you can hear a train passing by while here and there you can smell the river which flows in the valley near the house.
Architectural design is based on cleaning the existing one-family house from an inconvenient garage extension. Instead of a garage, a simple entrance mass is designed in harmony with the original character of the villa. The covered parking space with a straight exit on the main road is located on the lot line and is accessible by an adjusted pedestrian path to the main entrance and to the existing terrace. Also, the existing fencing towards the street was reconstructed in the length of 47.5 m. Due to layout changes in the interior, some openings in bearing walls had to be enlarged, some partitions had to be demolished and all openings on the garden-facing facade had to be enlarged. The character and the main mass of the house had been preserved. The design in the exterior included a replacement of window panels, an insulation of the building, a new plaster and a new roof.
The simplicity of the design is reflected in material and colour solution. Materials used in the original building were only replaced with new ones. Both roof and facade have similar character as before the start of reconstruction. The facade was insulated and all window panels were replaced.
This one-family house is designed for 4 people which corresponds to the simple layout. The main entrance is from the north-west of the street. The entrance with a vestibule is materially separated from the living area. Through the vestibule with built-in wardrobes you enter the hall where a staircase to the 2nd floor is located, along with access to the guest room, the kitchen and the main living area of the house with an access to the terrace. On the 2nd floor, there is a room for two children, study room and main bedroom with bathroom and walk-in closet.
Design: Mjölk architekti
Photography: BoysPlayNice