The seventh district of Prague can pride itself on a rescued historic building and new residents are proud of having an absolutely unique place to live.
The 17th-century manor estate, which had been dilapidated since the 1980s and also had been hit by devastating floods, took a new breath thanks to the LOXIA architectural studio supported by the developer CCP. Six historical monuments were supported by the construction of seven new buildings in the immediate vicinity of the Troja Chateau which created a luxury living environment combining monuments from the 17th century with the comfort of the 21st century.
The dilapidated history given a second chance thanks to new apartment buildings
Despite the extraordinary complexity of renovation work with potentially uncertain results, the teams of architects and developers, under the uncompromising supervision of conservationists, have decided to restore these unique treasures and preserve their genius for future generations. Under normal circumstances, these historic buildings would have remained irreversibly damaged by the lack of long-term maintenance which had weakened them and revealed their flaws. Their final destruction was completed by the Vltava river floods. Thus, it was necessary to come up with unconventional and costly reconstruction methods.
“The oldest building complex – the historic stables required dismantling stone by stone, carefully marking each brick and then rebuilding again, exactly where it has stood for the last 400 years,“ is how Jana Mastíková, Chief Architect of LOXIA Studio, described the process.
“The difficulty of the reconstruction was enormous but we succeeded. Not only us, but the investor and the conservationists are also delighted with the result. And we hope the new residents will enjoy it as well.” added architect Mastíková.
The builders’ hair turned gray dealing with the water problems
The effects of floodwater significantly impaired the foundations and general condition of the buildings which was further aggravated by leaks from the groundwater. The masonry thus had to undergo a lengthy drying process. The foundations of the historic buildings were given new waterproofing to protect them from groundwater. Powerful pumps are responsible for stopping any return flow of wastewater that is a danger in the sewer system during a flood. They have the power to control floods of 500 years severity to protect the area near the river against this threat. A protective wall separating the area with both fixed and mobile walls from the Vltava river bank protects the monuments and new buildings against the water from the river flooding over the area. The flood control system ensures the protection of the area up to the level of the Vltava river during the 2002 flood with a 30 cm reserve.
Chateau Troja Residence – project parameters
In both parts the architects designed 72 apartments. The new buildings have terraces and balconies that offer pleasant views of the landmarks in the area. There is a special group of 6 luxury penthouses on the top floors of the buildings. They have separate parking spaces, private entrance from the garages, own elevators, wine cellar, and gyms. The Chateau Troja Residence was awarded the top development project award by both the public and expert juries in the Real Estate Project of the Year Competition.
About LOXIA
LOXIA architectural studio is a specialist and is the largest designer of apartment buildings in the Czech Republic with more than 10,000 completed residential units.
Other important projects from the LOXIA studio include the curved KMPG headquarters which is located near the Hilton Hotel in Prague’s Karlín. The studio also designed the residential complex of SUOMI Hloubětín, the residential complex Kajetánka in Prague Břevnov and the reconstruction of the Vinohrady market which won the MIPIM AWARDS 1995 in Cannes. The recently introduced revitalization of the former Tesla grounds (again in Hloubětín) and the new construction of Town Hall of Prague 12 are other examples of their architecturally imaginative and interesting projects.
