CAFÉ IN ČVUT FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING READING ROOM
Chill Industrial Site
The café in the atrium is connected to the student reading room. It offers several types of seating areas where you can read, study, think or discuss a topic with a cup of coffee. The rounding of a bar and a library is based on the shape of a concrete structure, which is repeated several times in the space and used in a new context. A pair of concrete solitaires serves now as the café bar and the library. The use of materials and elements, that students of the engineering industry encounter during their study, was a natural choice in this café.
VIEW FROM ATRIUM
Thanks to the wall-to-wall glass, the atrium café is as if on the palm of your hand offering a view to the greenery in front of the faculty. Students have a good overview of what’s happening there. A wall at a relax zone is plastered with slightly detached university textbook pages creating an interesting 3D effect. Kari mesh used as a ceiling and a revealed rounded concrete structure refer to the faculty’s focus. The suspended rocking chairs behind the bar lure one to sit down immediately.
Bar
The high bar lockers are inserted into the original rounded concrete construction. The curve is repeated on a new low bar counter with a front of black concrete screed. The bar is located on a raised birch plywood stage, which hides all the necessary wiring. A new ceiling is made of deliberately rusted mesh, which is complemented above the bar by a light inspired by a concrete beam reinforcement model.
CENTRAL VIEW FROM BAR
The all-glass walls from the atrium and street sides illuminate the café well. All the wiring and construction in the ceiling remained exposed; we painted them black to reach the optical unification. A large desk with a bench is ideal for student debates over projects. A durable acoustic flooring from concrete imitation fine-tunes the industrial atmosphere. The suspended glass lamps create coziness in the café.
LIBRARY IN CAFÉ
A spacious green sofa, that attracts both to sitting and relaxing, is situated in the center of the café. The library behind it is continuously filled with books and textbooks from various disciplines, extending students’ horizons. The stackable, durable and easy to move chairs and stools provide the variability of the space. A carpet at the sofa and fur on the wire chairs create the sense of homely coziness.
RELAX
AND CREATIVE
ZONE
The original rounded construction is exposed down to the concrete. Newly, it hides a bar and a library. The place behind the bar serves as a relax zone with suspended rocking chairs. On the other side, behind the library, there is a working and creative zone. The large sketch roles are attached to the walls to allow students to record their ideas at any time.
AREA LIGHTING
The lamps are an important design element in the interior. The main illuminating element is the tube fluorescent lamps loosely situated above the ceiling. They can be easily moved as needed. The pleasant atmosphere is complemented by the suspended glass lamps with a marble base and colourful cables. A unique light above the bar resembles a concrete beam reinforcement. It perfectly corresponds to the mission of the faculty.
LIGHT
ABOVE BAR
Rusty kari mesh below the ceiling complements the original light. It is inspired by a concrete beam reinforcement that students know so well. The tube lights replaced the corner reinforcements. The wire binding of the metal stiffeners is reflecting the real structuring too. The light is unique and complements the industrial design of the entire interior suitably.
project
info
Architect
Jakub Zoula
Collab architects
Lenka Zoulová
Marek Novák
Engineers
Marek Kolář
Jan Zmátlík
Contractor
ČVUT Faculty of Civil Engineering
Year
2017
Surface
140 m²