From a book warehouse to a cultural hall - this is a new life for the Red Church, which has been closed to the public for over sixty years.
Address
Tř. Svobody, Olomouc, Czech Republic
Client
Olomouc region
Architectural design
Miroslav Pospíšil
Collaboration
Daria Johanesová, Martin Karlík, Milena Koblihová, Ondřej Patsch, Robert Randys, Lucie Rohelová, Adéla Tomečková, Hana Velčovská
Denisa Strmisková – interior design
Jan Košátko – information system graphic design
Design
10/2016 - 07/2019
Construction
currently under construction
Olomouc science library has been using the Red Church as a storage space for their books since 1959. Currently, Olomouc municipality is constructing a new library building at the edge of the town to fulfill the storage needs and therefore free up the Red Church for cultural purposes such as smaller concerts, public readings or art shows. Additionally, the Red Church is intended to be an information centre for the science library and Olomouc municipality. The major focus of this reconstruction is overall rehabilitation of the historical building. The rehabilitation will help restore the original look of the building, whilst and adding subtle changes to support its new functionality.
Combining the original form of the church and the new purpose would require significant construction changes to the existing heritage building. Therefore, we decided to add on a new building that would be dedicated solely to the operation and facilities. The new building is going to be put in the place of the current private parking lot and serve as a connector between the main part of the church and the library directory. The plan respects Bezrucova street line and keeps enough indent from both the church and library directory.
The crystal-like form of the new building was inspired by the church itself; it derives from its geometric shape, volume, and layout. The walls and the rooftop are designed to be made of matte black aluminium.
The public space around the church is another compelling addition to the project. To make the area more accessible, we have designed solid benches made of exposed concrete and added suitable greenery.
A combination of a private bar and a public space by the new riverside.
