There is a lack of land for industrial Development

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Panattoni Development Company has, since 2005, completed in Europe projects with a total area of over 12 million sq m. Panattoni is one of the most active developers of the sustainable industrial properties in the Czech Republic.

We spoke with the Panattoni’s Managing Director for CZ & SK, Pavel Sovička, about the current state of the industrial real estate market and its further development.

The development of industrial premises is currently experiencing a boom and it does not seem to have been hit by the coronavirus crisis. Or is it otherwise?

The coronavirus crisis has brought enormous dynamism to our segment as well as to the rest of the society as a whole. Yes, at first glance, this is mainly a demand boom. However, there is always a degree of imbalance between demand, financing, assets, land for development, construction costs and competition. For instance, in March 2020, demand fell to zero and some companies cancelled already launched projects. And during the summer, clients came with new demands, especially regarding the expansion of storage capacity related to the expansion of e-commerce. As at the end of the crisis year of 2008, banks stopped all funding for new projects for a short time, but this has changed since summer 2020. Today, major capital market transactions mostly involve industrial real estate. In the Czech Republic, there is a fundamental lack of land for the development of industry, and moreover, due to poorly set budget allocations of taxes, municipalities have no motivation to allow any development. Our activities are fundamentally focused on the development of brownfield sites. We hoped that the approach of individual communities would be much more supportive. Unfortunately, this is not the case and the Czech Republic is thus becoming a country that is battling everything and everyone. Moreover, competition from well-prepared locations in Germany, Poland and Slovakia, where individual regions are vying for production investors, is growing. In the Czech Republic, the mayor of the city does not, unfortunately, even meet with an investor bringing in investments in the order of billions. Another key factor is construction costs. At the moment, they are going up abruptly due to the prices of input material. Combined with rising land prices, the increase in prices is reflected in the level of rents, which is no longer competitive, even compared to Germany. So, the boom is here, but large and interesting projects of global companies will most likely not arise in the Czech Republic.

How much have industrial halls changed in the time you have been working in the field? And how have clients’ requirements changed?

Major changes are accelerating and will accelerate further in the coming years. Already in 2015, we systematically started building all projects in accordance with the BREEAM New Construction certification. We felt that this was the only way to sustainable development and its subsequent operation. Several of our buildings have received the highest ratings for industrial real estate in the world. Our efforts have also been compounded by the requirements of clients who are preparing their strategic operations for the near future, when each product will have a egistered and taxed carbon footprint. A major trend of logistics buildings is the construction of automated warehouses on several floors with a higher ceiling height. Obtaining a permit for a hall with a height of 20 m and more is, unfortunately, unrealistic in the Czech Republic, so we will lose the most modern projects that will be directed to Germany and Poland. Height goes hand in hand with an effort to minimize interference with the open landscape. Foreign companies will not invest in countries that have to build low-storey buildings and thus take up unnecessary land, as is contrary to their sustainable strategy. A strong topic in energy-intensive operations is also the requirement for the possibility of drawing energy from renewable sources. I agree that we do not have as much sunshine in the Czech Republic as they have in the southern countries and it will never blow here as it does by the sea. However, nothing prevents us from negotiating with countries that have better access to these resources or from investing in battery storage that would be suitable for energy storage.

Is it worth building speculatively today or do you focus mainly on Build-to-Suit (BTS)?

With regard to the extremely low rate of unoccupied premises in strategic locations such as Western Bohemia, Prague and its surroundings, Brno, Ostrava, Bratislava and Košice, we are embarking on speculative development. Due to the high prices of construction work and the lack of prepared land in the regions, we continue to focus on built-to-suit constructions – BTS. When it comes to these projects, specific conditions of rents and costs can be adapted to the particular situation.

How easy or complicated is it to currently find suitable land, when – as one of my colleagues says – the whole landscape is already ‘covered’?

This applies in particular to motorways. I recommend coming off the motorway from time to time and driving on roads of a lower class, for instance in the Central Bohemian Region. You will not come across any larger logistics or production hall within 50 or 100 km. The Czech Republic has chosen the path of industrial construction alongside motorways in a similar way to northern Italy. There is still plenty of land around motorways and motorway exits, which are now used only for extensive ‘industrial’ agriculture with monocultural thousands of hectares of fields. However, there are very few locations where the municipality does not block development, and the offer for tenants and users of business real estate is dismal compared to Germany. Our colleagues from the German branch even buy land cheaper than us in the Czech Republic, but commercial real estate is, in fact, one of the strategic infrastructures of modern economies.

In which direction – geographically and professionally – do you plan to expand?

Given the virtually non-existent state of investment in the development of road and rail infrastructure, we cannot expand sufficiently from a geographical point of view. However, we will develop our activities in areas that are infrastructurally developed and defined by good access to the motorway network. Due to our recent acquisitions of brownfield sites directly in Prague and Pilsen, we are preparing to enter the segment of business parks with a larger share of office space directly in logistics and production halls. We are also preparing initial projects for data centres.

Is the situation in Slovakia somewhat different from that in the Czech Republic?

Slovakia constantly invests in infrastructure and interconnections with neighbouring countries. Although I must admit that this pace is slowly declining and new opportunities for the development of industrial zones are still emerging. The connecting of southern and southwestern Slovakia to Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary attracts many large logistics and e-commerce players. Moreover, East Slovakia also offers skilled and relatively cheap labour.

ak

Window glass – the alpha and omega of every nearly zero-energy building

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Window glazing is usually the most neglected part of the building. Most architects and investors primarily deal with the appearance of the window and the function and material of window frames in an effort to minimize heat loss in window openings and meet the conditions imposed on buildings within the framework of the amendment for almost all zero-energy buildings.

Glass is, however, an indispensable part of every window pane, from which it makes up 85%! The design of windows and glass should be defined clearly and comprehensibly in the project documentation for the construction. It is the specific positioning of the window, the orientation of the object and the maximum size of the glass surface that are the determining factor for correct and informed selection of the window. And it is necessary to add that the definition of triple glazing with Ug = XY, which is often used in the project, is totally insufficient.

Choosing the right glass

The window, from a thermal insulation point of view is often considered to be the weakest link in the perimeter cladding, should be an integral part of the design of the entire structure from the very beginning. Especially glazing; it is part of the construction product and is subject to laboratory and computing assessment procedures. Requirements for glass and opaque fillings are determined by the specific design of the product, the place of installation in the building and the system principles. The properties given to it during production will subsequently define not only its energy efficiency during construction, but also the internal environment of the building and the feeling that users will have inside. That is why the cooperation of specialists from several areas is necessary already during the design of glass and any order should therefore be preceded by carefully and well-processed project documentation, which clearly defines which types of glass will be used in which parts of the house. From the point of safety, protection against noise and heat leakage and, of course, the volume of transmitted natural light and heat moving into the interior, it can be clearly stated that there are requirements for different types of glazing in the building and therefore it is impossible to use the same type of glass in all windows.

What should an architect or designer know?

In order to achieve a quality and well-lit interior, the architect and designer should work effectively not only with the size of the window, but also with its properties.

The key questions in choosing correct and suitable windows are the following:

  • What are the client’s requirements for acoustics and airborne sound insulation Rw [dB]?
  • What is the orientation of the object with respect to the cardinal points of the world?
  • How will sun protection be solved in the building? Are outdoor blinds planned? Is it even possible to install blinds?
  • What is the client’s requirement for light transmission TL [%]?
  • What are the client’s expectations regarding visible external reflection Lr [%]?
  • What are the security requirements – either from the client’s point of view or with regards to security?
  • What are the requirements for the heat transfer through the glass, what heat transfer coefficient Ug through the glass is required and what is the required coefficient Uw for the whole window [W/m2K]?

Why is it necessary to start with acoustics?

Acoustics indirectly define the thickness of the glass and thus the desired profile. Unfortunately, it is never possible to choose glass that offers only the pluses – that means that it transmits light, but no heat. There is always a compromise to be reached. That is why when choosing each window in the house, it is important to consider what is most important for the users of the particular room.

One of the reliable innovative solutions that offer such a compromise is so-called insulating glass with a new generation of low-emission ECLAZ coatings from Saint-Gobain. Thanks to the innovative coating technology, insulating glass achieves above-average thermal insulation properties, high light transmission as well as high solar gains.

Glass as part of savings

So, it can be concluded that an ideal and correctly installed window with appropriately selected glass and quality frame should, depending on the orientation of the building, let into the interior as much light as possible, as much heat from the sun as possible and have the best possible thermal insulation properties – all under the assumption of functional exterior shielding. In short, it can be said that according to the strictest criteria at nZEB, the building cannot do without high-quality windows with responsibly and correctly selected glass specified on the basis of the expected properties.

PR

Top housing in a place that does not fall asleep

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The gap site between Verdunská and Jugoslávských partyzánů streets in Prague – Dejvice, near Vítězné Square, will take on a new shape. Or more precisely, it will vanish.

At the beginning of July, the building authority for Prague 6 issued a permit for the construction of Victoria Palace, a residential building to be built there by the development consortium of Penta Real Estate and Kaprain. This will end almost a century of groping around as to what to do with the place that is part of the valued concept of Vítězné (Victory) Square by the architect Engel from the 1920s. His vision was a modern cut of the north-western city modelled on the reconstruction of Paris in the 19th century; The Vítězné Square was to be the centre of events with a well-thought-out
arrangement of buildings in a circular floor plan. Due to the economic crisis and the World War II, only a torso remained from the original idea. It was not until 2010 that the LINE project by architect Radan Hubička, who developed it for PPF, was to change the location of today’s gap site. Whilst primarily the office building won the award as the project of 2013, the public nor some experts accepted it, though. The building permit for Victoria Palace therefore makes it possible, after many decades, to complete the missing piece of the story of the architectural change for the entire centre of Prague 6.

With respect to history

The architectural studio Jakub Cigler Architekti (JCA) suggested for the gap site a residential building that would represent an elegant modern realization of the original idea regarding the appearance of this part of the square. According to Engel’s concept, the building in today’s gap site was to be the axial counterpart of the Army General Staff building. In the plans, the two buildings were the same, only mirror-inverted.

Victoria Palace adheres to the original lines in the JCA design. The building of the General Staff and the modern residential house will be connected by similar elements, with the fundamental difference being within their conception by architects, who are about 90 years apart. Victoria Palace is really a mirror counterpart of the General Staff Building. The facades of both buildings have a significant vertical division. The main ledge is at the same height as the ledge of the General Staff building and in the upshot as the ledges of the surrounding buildings in the square. The saddle shape of the Victoria Palace roof formed by slats is a copy of the roof of the General Staff building. One would find a number of common elements in both buildings and also other houses in Vítězné Square.

Victoria with an overview

The Penta Real Estate and Kaprain consortium will build a nine-storey building in Vítězné Square for about a billion crowns. The building will come with a total of 97 flats, two underground floors for technical facilities, cellars and mainly 135 parking spaces. This will thus create 7,200 sq m of living space and 1,800 sq m for retail and services in an area of over 4,200 sq m. According to the requirements of the city district, there will be a supermarket, a pharmacy, a bank branch and also a mobile network operator. The apartments will be among the top offers in the capital. The larger one’s face both sides of the building – i. e. the square and the peaceful zone of a courtyard. The vast majority then come with outdoor loggias or terraces. This category of apartments is characterized by a high proportion of natural materials, and premium brands come as a matter of course with regards to the equipment. The open glazed facade divided by vertical lamellas, which is the dominant element of the building, allows a rich transmission of light into the interior of all residential units. “We have a number of higher standard residential projects that are of greatest interest in the market under construction,” says David Musil, Residential Development Manager at Penta Real Estate, adding: “Victoria is a different story. It has the same character as Trafalgar Square in London or the Leipziger Platz in Berlin. Places that do not fall asleep. Victoria represents exceptional housing in Prague, for which the price corresponds.” The apartments will be put on for sale in the near future. According to preliminary information, the price of a studio apartment, i. e. 33 sq m bedsit with kitchenette, exceeds CZK 7 million. The very best that Victoria has to offer are four penthouses situated on the top two floors, with sizes ranging from 130 to 202 sq m and terraces from 80 to 236 sq m. These apartments, for which their future owners can get directly from an elevator, will require tens of millions of Czech crowns.

A private garden in the courtyard will be available for the apartment owners; It is almost pointless to emphasize that it will come with trees, plenty of greenery and a water feature. This is just another of the benefits that are obvious to anyone who knows Prague: Victoria Palace will become part of the centre of the Prague location, which is characteristic for traditional residential functions in highly regarded areas, such as Ořechovka, Hanspaulka and the area surrounding Vítězné Square. Prague 6 alone is a city district with large green areas, to which we can also include a part of Prague’s Stromovka. It is no coincidence that this part of Prague has been chosen by a number of countries for their embassies. Victoria Palace is located close to the underground and Václav Havel Airport is also easily accessible.

Penta Real Estate has currently started preparing a building site and the Victoria Palace residence should be completed before the fourth quarter of 2023.

PR

EKOM: Ultra low-energy offices in Piešťany

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DELTAGroup began to conceptually solve the new construction of the administrative building and the extension of the parking house with an architectural study following the elaboration of a building study prepared on the basis of the development proposal for the entire production area of the investor EKOM spol. s.r.o.

The implementation of this administrative project designed in the BIM standard was launched in April 2017. Ing. arch. Adam Cifra from DELTA Group introduced it to our readers in more detail.

If someone remembers the EKOM project, what comes to mind?

An enlightened, ecologically minded investor who had the idea to create, in the workplace, an above-standard quality indoor environment for his employees. And also, the pioneering concept of an office building with a relaxation zone in the atrium. Our cooperation was not accidental. DELTA had already built a warehouse for EKOM in the past at agreed investment costs and also within a fixed deadline. We kept the promised guarantees, and that is the reason why the investor approached us again and together we embarked on further cooperation, which brought another successful project in Slovakia.

What functions and standards does the object have? What does this bring to the people who work there?

The above-standard indoor environment should contribute to the fact that work in this company is interesting for new employees and that capable people do not have to travel to Bratislava for work. The first step was to come up with an interesting and representative architecture and at the same time set the standard for the building. The investor became excited about new technologies and implemented some elements of green architecture. The radiant cooling and heating solution of the concrete core activation system is one of the main characteristics of the building. This was complemented with other technologies, such as additional ceiling panels for temperature adjustment, fresh air supply with heat recovery from the floor, temperature accumulation by massive concrete structures, utilisation of exterior blinds controlled automatically by a weather station, ventilation and bringing sunlight into the interiors in the atrium and the like.

The project preparation commenced in BIM in 2016. What were the conditions for working with this method in Slovakia at that time?

We tried to use the BIM standard for the professions of architecture, building construction, air conditioning and statics for the projection. It was primarily our initiative to implement a BIM standard project. From today’s point of view (five years later on), it was more of a 3D design. Today, we are much further along with BIM. At that time, we were unable to solve all professions in this standard in order to make it effective (e.g., wiring). Today, the situation is significantly better and more companies already have sufficient experience with this method.

What advantages did the client see in designing in BIM? Did he understand the benefits it brings?

The investor clearly saw the added value in this. For me, BIM brought easier communication, quicker understanding and approval of proposals by the investor, including more accurate creation of documents for tenders for construction and interior contractors. However, we encountered insufficient use in the construction. Here, the BIM model and information from the model were used more by us, DELTA as the author’s supervision. Roman Miklík from EKOM commented on this phase of implementation saying: “I would say that at that time implementation companies were not yet sufficiently set up in Slovakia.”

DELTA represented many positions in this project – from architectural, design activities, selection of construction contractors, construction management, technical supervision of the investor and author’s supervision. How could these functions be combined?

The project began to be solved by a building study of the development of the production area, the idea of which was prepared by the investor himself. After evaluating the outputs, we first implemented a warehouse, which freed up the necessary space in the area. Only then was the second stage started, namely the design of a new administrative and let’s say commercial and technical building and parking building. The scope of our activities and responsibility in the project grew gradually thanks to the fact that we were always able to provide the investor with all necessary activities and services. There we also achieved a high efficiency of activities and had a maximum overview of the project. What is interesting is that we have already incorporated the interior project into the project for a building permit. This is a very good practice if you are dealing with the construction for the end user and not as a ‘space for rent’.

How big were the demands of EKOM in assigning the project, which has been one of the pioneering ones in Slovakia since 2018?

The basic requirement was to be able to manage the project thoroughly from the beginning. This means controlling not only quality and deadlines, but also finances. Another factor for cooperation was to set a strategy for the tender process for the selection of contractors from the beginning. Maintaining the quality of the construction and good cooperation of professional companies on the construction at a reasonable price. The architecture and green standard of the building were then the icing on the cake of this project.

Can you specify any exceptional elements that you used in the project?

The building uses renewable sources, works with a system of heat pumps (air-water) up to a temperature of +7 °C, it is also ready to obtain energy from groundwater. However, this option was not implemented during construction due to the lengthy permitting process for the use of groundwater.

The building has already been in operation for three years. How did the overall analysis of data measurements turn out? Development and modern materials are moving forward very quickly. Is it possible to specify the amount of savings or pros and cons of the technologies used?

The investor has information regarding the condition of the building with the possibility of remote control. The implementation company, which dealt with heating, cooling and ventilation, also supplied the MaR system. For this reason, the setting up of the building is tuned to the maximum and the investor can rely on the operation of the system under the management of one company. We do not have information available for traffic data.

The current topical issue is greenery. Today’s demands on a modern working environment are not just about the building itself. Has the project also taken into account the positioning of the building within its surroundings?

The well-thought-out location of the building was already solved by a building study for the entire complex. Within this area, the building was positioned located as best as possible, which mainly refers to good transport connections, respect for other production facilities and suitable orientation of the cardinal points. The lack of greenery within the vicinity was replaced by the green walls of the building overgrown with climbing plants.

How did the EKOM project differ from other projects?

There are many aspects, but I will mention the following: the green standard of the building, the activation of the concrete core, the maximum use of natural or recyclable materials, charging stations for electric cars and an excellent culture of cooperation.

Nela Wagnerová

Photo: Delta Group

 

 

Multifunctional lobby is a space for everyone at Vienna House

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The lobby and entrance halls of the hotels are no longer just about waiting for check-in or the arrival of a taxi. The trend is to use common areas creatively and functionally. In the lobby of the Vienna House hotels you will find space for fun, work, and relaxation.

What comes to your mind in connection with the hotel as one of the main attributes? In addition to the location and the kitchen, it will definitely be comfort. Most guests want to relax after a long journey when arriving to the hotel. They want to look around, sit down, prepare their documents, or have the coveted coffee. Comfortable armchairs, ambient music, good lighting, and number of tables to put stuff away. This is what comfort looks like in the lobby according to Vienna House. You will be happy to meet colleagues or friends here. You can work here, have fun, and spend time creatively. Nowadays, it is absolutely essential that these common areas are flexible and cover a wide range of requirements.

Coworking at the hotel

“We perceive the requirements of our guests. Many of them want to work or sort things outside their room for various reasons. Whether they need more space, a change of environment or want to enjoy a piece of cake with work. Placing a coworking table in the lobby was a clear step in the right direction,” explains Marek Páleník, Director of
Vienna House Diplomat Prague. Here you will find a long table with hidden tilting sockets, lamps, and comfortable chairs, as well as plenty of other corners to sit and work. Of course, there is a free WiFi, sockets at every step and also two desktop computers if necessary.

Both coffee and a football match

An important space within the lobby is, of course, a bar or cafe. It is a place where you can spend your free time, meet for business breakfast and lunch, or enjoy a pleasant evening by the fireplace. The bar menu must therefore be adapted to all these activities. It is therefore necessary to include both excellent coffee and great wine on the menu, as well as something to replenish energy. The offer of food is also specific, as added by Štěpán Sova, director of Vienna House Easy Pilsen: “Speed, quality of ingredients and simplicity are the basis. Whether you go for a business lunch or want a sandwich with your afternoon coffee, you can’t wait an hour for a meal. That’s not good for a cafe in the lobby.” The lobby bar often has widescreen TVs or projection screens. So that you can watch big events such as the Olympic Games or championships here.

Space for everyone

It is important that the lobby areas are barrier-free, including toilets. Guests with disabilities, or parents with prams and the elderly, should feel comfortable and natural. Equipment for children is another convenient accessory. How many times have you traveled with children and needed at least a minibus? At Vienna House, they are ready for kids even in the common areas, whether it is a changing table, highchairs or even board games for rent.

Vienna House hotels are flexible and open to all. They now work without restrictions with all services. Do you want to go to Prague, Pilsen or somewhere else? Check out www.viennahouse.com.

Redakce VH

The OC Zlaťák was opened in Jeseník

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The InterCora development group has been operating in the Czech market since 1991. It is primarily engaged in the construction and rental of commercial real estate for retail.

InterCora already has over 300 shopping centres with a total area of 2 million sq m on their account, these being mainly in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. Other projects are in the preparation phase or under construction. In our country, they are, e.g., in Dvůr Králové, Písek and Přeštice, and as well in Slovakia – Košice, Martin, Veľký Meder II., Liptovský Mikuláš and Dubnica nad Váhom.

The shopping centre Zlaťák – more than the 100th InterCora’s project in the Czech Republic, has recently, on 24th June, opened in Jeseník. It is located in neighbourhood of supermarkets Billa and Lidl, near the exit road to Poland. There are 75 parking spaces, including four for the disabled and one for parents with prams. The area of the new shopping centre is approximately 2,700 sq m and is shared by seven tenants. “Most of them are proven tenants, which customers also know from our other shopping centres – KiK and Planeo elektro, each of which occupies an area of about 700 sq m. Then there is the chemist’s Teta, homeware Banquet, toys Wiky and pet shop Super Zoo. Each of these units covers an area of about 200–300 sq m,” says Vilma Taborová, Manager of the Expansion and Rental Department, introduces the shopping centre Zlaťák, adding: “Our customers – and not only them – can refresh in Pepe’s Café run by Pepe’s Company from Břeclav. They have their own production of delicious desserts, ice cream and fresh products, such as salads. We have together realized an operation in the Nové Zámky Shopping Centre in Slovakia with them and we are preparing further cooperation.”

Despite the coronavirus epidemic, the construction of the shopping centre Zlaťák proceeded precisely according to schedule – it commenced last autumn after the demolition of the original building – the bakery with the aim of InterCora to commence operations within the deadline set by the future lease agreements.

Ing. Ivan Hlaváček, the Company Director, says: “We bought the land together with the existing bakery building. Following an agreement with the town of Jeseník, we postponed the demolition of the bakery and allowed it to operate during the covid period, half a year after the purchase of the property.” InterCora managed to meet the opening date mainly thanks to their huge commitment and quality work of all those who participated in the shopping centre Zlaťák project.

PR

Bořislavka Centrum – a new meeting point

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In the beginning of June, KKCG Real Estate Group (KKCG REG) presented a new building complex, BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM, where the first shops were opened as well.

The office and shopping complex consists of four irregular glass crystals, creating a vibrant local centre directly above the Bořislavka metro station and underlining the importance of the city’s Evropská radial route. The modern architecture is significantly complemented by works by contemporary Czech artists. The KKCG group’s companies owned by the entrepreneur Karel Komárek will move into the new offices in June, too.

The biggest KKCG REG’s project

After almost 30 years, Prague 6 has managed to resolve, in architectural terms, the complicated plot of land where Evropská, Liberijská and Kladenská streets intersect. The investor, KKCG REG, purchased the land in 2012 and subsequently launched an international architectural design competition. The winning design was prepared by Aulík Fišer Architekti (AFA). The main authors of the design are Jan Aulík and Leoš Horák.

“We pride ourselves on the high quality of all our structures. The ‘Crystals’ at Bořislavka is our biggest project to date and we are very proud of it. It is a valuable contemporary architecture that complements this part of Prague 6 in the urban-development terms. It pleasantly develops civic amenities and offers great working and commercial premises. The unique works of art represent for me the perfect finishing touch to the project,” said Petr Pujman, CEO of KKCG REG. In his opinion, the construction itself, worth more than CZK 3.5 billion, took three years and was managed directly by the investor’s team in cooperation with the construction-management company, Ruby Project Management. “Although the Covid-19 pandemic hampered some of our works, I am happy that we have been able to get the building approved on 30th April, 2021. We will also meet the original plan and bring the entire complex into full operation this year,” added P. Pujman.

Prestigious award prior to completion

Last year, BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM won the Best International Office Development 2019/2020 award that is presented within the International Property Awards competition in London. “We have followed up on the development of urban schemes for the modern city which we have been focusing on for a long time. Our aim is to find a new form of the urban block development that would be able to evoke the qualities of public space of a historic city, meet the demands placed on the internal environment of the buildings and allow for individual architectural form,” explained architect Jan Aulík, one of the founders of AFA. In accordance with the investor’s instructions, his team created a structure of irregular natural shapes, crystals, on the building plot which gradually and smoothly passes into a park in the eastern part. The geometry of a crystal corresponds to the internal layout and function of the building. The chosen form allows to respond to completely different environments and profile grades of the surrounding streets, while offering unique views of Prague. Although the nature of BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM is that of an urban block development, it is permeable for the public and naturally interconnects Kladenská and Evropská streets. “The objective of our work was not only the aesthetics of individual buildings and the rationality of their internal layout but, above all, the environment around and between them. The permeable block concept offers a range of public spaces of different nature, largely sunlit and protected from the traffic of Evropská street,” added J. Aulík.

Art in public spaces

A story in itself of BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM is fine art that complements the complex. “The fact that the investor of the building, Karel Komárek, and his wife Štěpánka are wise and knowledgeable people plays a huge role here,” commented Petr Pujman. One of the artworks ‘tailor-made for the premises’ is, for example, a glass sculpture called ‘Iceberg’ which illuminates the entrance lobby. It is the largest work made by the Lasvit company in the Czech Republic and one of its largest in the world. Its author is Lasvit’s art director, Maxim Velčovský. “It was a huge challenge for us because we were working with a vast space and a unique technology,” he pointed out. In his opinion, the design respects and emphasises the architectural intent which does not end with the design of the building but is an integration of artistic and design disciplines so that all aspects and elements of the building work in harmony with each other. The entrance lobby is freshened up by an epiphyte consisting of 76 acacia wood poles which are planted with 4,000 green and flowering plants. The creator of this unconventionally conceived garden is the architect Zdeněk Sendler together with the architects who designed the building. He created similar islands of vegetation also on the upper floors of some of the buildings. The artworks have one common idea: we try to bring new approaches, to look for original solutions. And this is not just Lasvit’s ‘Iceberg’, but, for example, a sculpture that is currently being created in Federico Díaz’s workshop.  The sculpture, called ‘Up the Mountain’, evokes an old path that once led through the place, and is being made by a special robotic arm. The work by the Czech-Argentine artist will be completed on the piazzetta between the third and fourth crystals in the autumn.

Office building with shops and services

The buildings were unveiled today and will comprise 30,000 sq m of offices, while more than 60 retail units will use approximately 10,000 sq m of the shopping area. There are also 580 parking spaces underground, where electric charging stations are a matter of course. For office tenants, there is a bike room available including sanitary facilities.

The crystals of the buildings form a new social and business centre of the Prague 6 borough and, at the same time, they will become a new headquarters for companies, belonging to the KKCG group owned by the entrepreneur Karel Komárek. Employees of KKCG, KKCG REG, Sazka, SAZKA Group, MND, KKCG Technologies and others will be moving here in the near future. In the autumn, employees of Škofin (Volkswagen Financial Services), Pražská vodohospodářská společnost (Prague water management company), IGT Czech Republic and MM&C are expected to move here.

At the beginning of June, the first shopping arcade with Lidl store, dm drugstore, Knihy Dobrovský, SAZKA, a branch of Komerční banka, Papírnictví AKM, Tescoma, GRANDOPTICAL, Valmont Tobacco, Deluxe Flowers, Exchange and The Miners Caffee was opened, too. There is barrier-free access from Kladenská Street, directly from the subway and from underground garages. Starting from September, BOŘISLAVKA CENTRUM will expand the range of services to include some more shops and gastro-corners in the second shopping arcade.

PR / Photo: For KKCG – BoysPlayNice

We enjoy doing things that make sense for people

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It’s good to have a helicopter and be able to justify why. It’s good to have a lot of hobbies that are related to work. And it’s good to have a job as a hobby.

This is exactly what Marcel Soural, the founder of Trigema and the Chairman of its Board of Directors, succeeded in doing. The development company Trigema closed the covid year with a larger, we can say even double turnover than in previous years, which were also successful. He simply succeeds in what he touches. Behind – as well as ahead of – Marcel Soural is, in addition to housing projects, for instance, the construction of the tallest Czech skyscraper, a wine bar with Kuka arm, a leisure area and a number of projects for the people he supports. And also rebranding the company. It is not easy to afford one’s own housing at current prices so, the supporting of other projects that people can use, is a good way. Especially when you can occasionally take a flight and see the world from a bird’s eye view.

You graduated from the Czech Technical University and have been running a successful development company for many years. Apart from that, you have many other activities. Would you describe yourself as ambitious?

I would rather call it the consciousness of achieving something exceptional and at the same time functional, pleasant and necessary, something that would be beneficial to others. Not to be subject to routine. Change the status quo while improving the world. And one also has to enjoy doing it.

What are Trigema’s main projects now? Nuselská is 100% sold out and the Braník project is 70% sold. You have commenced apartments in Plzeň – Skvrňany and construction of Smíchov Lihovar (Distillery) will start after the summer…

Exactly. The Braník project is already in the finishing phase. We should go through final building approval this autumn. And more than 70% is sold. Our third Plzeň project called Bydlení Skvrňany (Skvrňany Housing) was commenced in the middle of April. The project comprises a total of 203 housing units in seven apartment buildings. And the sale of apartments is to be launched in the first week of June. We certainly expect great interest. Our so far largest project, Smíchov Distillery, with investment costs of around CZK 3.5 billion, has been divided into four stages. It comprises a total of about 600 apartments and 4,500 sq m of non-residential area. The zero stage was commenced in May this year. It is a reconstruction of the listed Varna (Brewhouse), where we will build an exhibition gallery and a café by the end of the year. It will be such a site opener. And the first stage of the construction will be commenced just before the end of the year, with apartments going on sale in the second half of the holidays. And it is also necessary to mention the Fragment project in Karlín, which is currently in the phase of rough structure build.

Since about 2018, you have been working on the Flat Zone project, which you are building with your son after his return from London. How does this project fit into the concept of Trigema?

We have already been collecting data on the residential market in the Czech Republic for 10 years. Especially information about new residential projects. We did that for the need for knowledge of the market and its subsequent cultivation. Three years ago, our data cube was already so big that we decided to earmark a team of specialists into a separate company, Flat Zone. Today, it is a unique aggregator project for all new residential projects in one place.

But there are already companies that collect data from the market…?

You will not find anything similar in the market. Based on set filters, you can get directly to the pages of the respective project from one place. Free of charge. It’s a huge time saver for people looking for new housing. And as a by-product, we offer banks and developers the data analysis at the place and time that the organization needs it in order to provide a first-class service to its clients. This year, we will launch a similar service in Slovakia and then it will be Poland’s turn.

With David Černý, you are behind the Top Tower project. What does ‘Czech Skyscraper’ mean to you?

After meeting David about six years ago when he supplied us with the 12-metre Trifot sculpture for Korzo in Nové Butovice and subsequently significantly contributed to the creation of the currently constructed premium rental housing project Fragment on the border of Karlín and Invalidovna, we founded the joint architectural studio Black n’Arch. This is currently our incubator for new ideas and a slightly different approach to architecture. And one of these projects is the preparation of the Top Tower project in Nové Butovice. The plot, which is located in the immediate vicinity of an underground exit and, moreover, is not burdened by the protection zone of the Prague monument zone or the ban on high-rise buildings, allowed us to come up, on the edge of the Prague 13 panel housing estate, with a building concept that goes beyond standard solutions.

Can you be more specific?

It must be said that although the design looks very non-standard, all its structural elements fulfil the required function. The slender tower will be a co-living centre with about 400 mini-residential units, the smaller building is intended for administration and the ship outside the static functions and the outdoor exhibition gallery also serves as a structure for two lifts transporting visitors to the top of the ship from where they will be provided with an amazing view of the Prague panorama, including the outlook restaurant.

Another activity is the activity of your wife, who is the owner of the Czech Press Photo competition. Apart from the acclaimed photography competition, it also includes a gallery, also in Butovice. You certainly support these activities. Are all these activities the beginning of a family business?

We are the general partner of the Czech Press Photo competition and at the same time of the Czech Photo Centre, a photo gallery in Nové Butovice. Just as we support the Dejvice Theatre, the Zdeněk Svěrák Paraple Centre or other charitable activities. We enjoy doing things that make sense to people, and they don’t have to necessarily be about business.

Apart from Trigema’s flagship projects, you also have a lot of ‘pleasures’ or ‘toys’ (in the best sense of the word). Apart from the above, for instance, the Monínec complex. Why do you own this complex and why these activities? What role does Monínec play in the overall concept of Trigema?

Monínec fits into our long-term strategy of investing in leisure activities. People will have more and more free time available in the future and we want to enable them to spend it with us. That is why 10 years ago, we entered this Central Bohemian complex, from which we are building a year-round sports and leisure complex intended for families with children in summer and winter and for corporate events in the spring and autumn. The current state of investment in Monínec is just the beginning of our long-term vision of what this area should look like.

And what is your hobby?

Hobby? Well, I can tell you one – I have a pilot’s license for a helicopter. And I own a one four-person one. We built this type of small heliport with hangars in Řeporyje. We call it Reporyje International. During take-off and landing, we report directly to the Ruzyně tower.

And what about the Samota project? You’ve had it in your portfolio for some time. There is a plan to expand the ski area, which will serve winter and summer activities… What’s happening to it?

It’s a suburban area situated right on the edge of Železná Ruda and the Šumava National Park. We have been having this project approved for about eight years. After zoning in the NPŠ was completed, there is now hope that we might finally get a building permit. I would give it another two years and see if we can start construction. To give you an idea, this is a complex with roughly double the capacity of the existing Monínec.

You are also behind the Cyberdog robotic winery project. Would you present this project in a broader context, please?

Well, it’s easy to understand! David Černý and I enjoy inventing and especially implementing, projects that no one has implemented here yet. That’s how Cyberdog came about. A robotic wine bar, where the work of a sommelier is performed by the robotic arm Kuka. The whole project is adapted to the shaped parameters of wine bottles from the Dog in Dock winery. This is surprisingly ours, too. We realize the existing production in rented premises in Boršice, however, in the spring, we will commence the construction of a new wine and education complex in the immediate vicinity of the port of the Baťa Canal in Veselí nad Moravou. That is also one of the reasons to have a helicopter. It is almost at the Slovak border.

Most of your personal projects are located in Nové Butovice, where you live with your family. Why Butovice? Do you like it there so much?

Our company’s headquarters are in the Explora building, directly above the Nové Butovice underground station. I don’t like wasting time in my life. Time has the highest value for me. And driving to and from work – and by car – is a classic example of waste. That is why we live in Jinonice. It is eight minutes on foot (five minutes by car) to work or the underground and two minutes to the forest the other way.

You are planning to rebrand the Trigema brand during these months. Who do you work with and what does the re-branding entail?

We have been preparing a brand rebranding in cooperation with the Henceforth agency, namely Jarmila Fryntová, Lenka Kůsová and Paul Matthews for almost a year. Together, we had to delve deep into the company’s history and re-describe our values, corporate goals, our vision and mission in a simple and understandable way. We now have over 250 full-time employees, so we need to have these attributes of corporate culture easily communicable. And the logical part was then to re-define the intention and meaning of the brand, its architecture, personality, tonality and visual concept. The pilot project is the Fragment project. Everything else was released at the end of May for the company’s 27th anniversary.

Trigema primarily closed their business year with a turnover of around CZK 1 billion. Last year, despite the difficult situation with the pandemic, you probably did even better thanks to the sale of apartments. What turnover do you expect for 2020?

This is truly remarkable, because 2020 was the most successful year in the company’s history. A turnover of CZK 1.8 billion, EBITDA CZK 338 million and profit before tax CZK 231 million. And we expect 2021 to be even better.

What are your future plans?

We want to continue to grow and therefore to strengthen our independence. We are a company that decides independently, based on its own visions and the motivation of our team. We have a plethora of plans. We will be pleased to keep you informed about them as we go along.

Kristina Vacková

Vienna is building a new district with ecological apartments

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A new Village im Dritten district will be created by 2026 in the middle of Vienna’s third district, offering sustainable and ecological housing for approximately 4,000 people. Less than half of the apartments will be supported by the city.

Within five years, Vienna’s Council aims to construct a new district in Vienna’s lucrative third district near Landstrasse in cooperation with ARE Austrian Real Estate. The new project will cover an area of 11 hectares and provide a home for 4,000 residents. Less than half of the total of 1,900 housing units are city-supported apartments, of which there should be a total of eight hundred. The project, which the council has been preparing for 10 years, is not the only ecological complex of new buildings. The Eurogate project, the largest housing estate for passive houses in Europe, was established nearby in 2007.

According to the representatives of Vienna Council, the most important thing in the construction of the new district is affordability, the high quality of the materials used and their use in everyday life. The central principle is then sustainability, which is why the council bet on enough greenery, building tempering, shading and proper wind circulation in the new project. Vienna also achieves a reduction in the temperature in the apartments with suitable glazing, effective sun protection, and good ventilation of the apartments and climate-neutral regulation of the building temperature, i.e. mild cooling by means of heat dissipation, in urban construction projects. Effective greening of the roof and façade, shading of common areas and paths, favourable surface design, rainwater retention and the provision of adequate ventilation also help to further reduce the temperature.

The new district also considers common areas. All residential buildings are to be equipped with green facades as well as roof gardens and terraces, which residents will be able to use together with neighbours. The city plans to build shady lounges in the courtyards, which can be a haven and a meeting place. Apart from fitness offers, there will be various playgrounds for all age groups as well as mist jets and water games for further cooling in the hot summer months. The spacious two-hectare central park will also include playing and sports areas and a dog zone. Other parts of the public space are designed near nature, such as urban wilderness or urban forest. Of course, there will also be a nursery school, shops and restaurants.

According to the council, the new city district should play a pioneering role and become a so-called laboratory, which is to test a wide range of measures that will be standard in the future.

www.eurocommpr.cz

Ostrava skyscraper – maybe with a viewpoint

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Studio AI – DESIGN (Architecture Interior DESIGN) was founded in 1999 by Eva Jiřičná and Petr Vágner. They offer comprehensive services from the design of new public and private buildings, bridges, reconstructions to complete interior designs, exhibitions, furniture and other unique items.

 

Their realizations include the design hotel Josef in Prague, a New Orangery at Prague Castle, the reconstruction of St. Anne’s Church in Prague, the VIZE 97 Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation, the Sky Barrandov apartment complex, the Zlín Congress Centre and the new Faculty of Humanities of Tomaš Baťa University in Zlín. The studio has
received many awards abroad and in our country for their realizations, including the Grand Prix of the Community of Architects. Architect Petr Vágner talked to us about what they are currently preparing.

What is your opinion regarding high-rise buildings and their implementation in the Czech environment? The situation for skyscrapers is not a bed of roses here.

I think that we will eventually be forced to do so by using the plots just as we are now using the landscape countryside. The buildings are spreading wide, so it will happen here just as it did in other metropolises. I agree that we must be careful not to destroy the panorama of Prague, which is unique, but there are, on the other hand, already defined places where it will have no effect if there are five or more skyscrapers there. What is rather more interesting to see now is that UNESCO enters into the arrangements of Prague quite significantly and comments on high-rise construction, or actually does so in such a way so that there is no high-rise construction at all. Heritage preservation and other institutions are happy to hear this opinion, because they only identify with it and don’t have to deliver it themselves. That doesn’t add much to high-rise buildings.

Your AI DESIGN studio won the skyscraper design competition in Ostrava…

It was a tender rather than a competition. The city chose this form, approached at least 5–10 architectural offices and our task was to present a description of what we would like to do with the new building, and of course,
we had to include references and price. Based on this, we were finally selected to carry out the study.

How did you attract the jury compared to the other candidates? It is actually a reconstruction of the building, which was designed in 1968 as an experimental project by architect Jan Slezák in the Jindřiška housing estate in Ostrava.

I have no idea what proposals the others submitted. We naturally wanted to preserve the building as much as the council did. We described the way our process should proceed because the building comes with some history. There are a lot of legends about it claiming that it moved, that the statics are bad, etc., so we teamed up with local structural engineers who work directly in Ostrava and are concrete specialists, such as Ing. Šeligová, and others. Our concept was based on a comprehensive analysis of the current situation, so that we didn’t show something that perhaps couldn’t be realized, but so that we could try to grasp it realistically if possible. Maybe that was the thing that did it. I don’t know.

What is the condition of the building now and what is your idea of reconstruction?

The reinforced concrete structure should remain, it is sufficient enough to support another floor. That’s why we considered raising the building. Calculations and construction-technical research show that we could add one floor for a lookout café. We will have the construction completely cleaned. According to our design, there should be really comfortable apartments with a nice view and balconies, which should be, according to static analysis, only positioned on the corners of the structure. Measurements have been carried out for three months now and we monitor whether the structure moves and under what conditions. According to the results of the surveys we’ll see if the proposal can be implemented.

What do you expect from the extension of the next floor?

It should definitely be an attraction. There is a beautiful view from there. From the 22nd floor you can see the whole of Ostrava. However, in the Lower Vítkovice area there is the Bolt Tower, where there already is a café up high, and the town hall with a lookout tower is also nearby. We discussed with the council whether the café is suitable for this place. Eventually we designed the space as multifunctional and theoretically it is possible that there will be no café, but a different operation. There will be access and the possibility of supply, so we’ll see.

The building will then be entered by residents of the apartments and visitors to this place, no matter what’s there. How will the safety of the population be ensured?

There will be an entrance lobby with a reception desk and lifts. Clients will receive a chip to get to their floors – and no one else will be able to go there. Another important thing we addressed was the original communication core in the centre of the building, which does not meet current fire regulations. That is why we added another core from the north side with two lifts and an escape staircase –and that’s what the reception is next to.

What size of apartments does the design account for?

The size of the apartments increases from the lower floors upwards, i.e. downstairs are bedsits and one bedroom apartments with kitchenettes and on the four highest floors, there are 2× four beautiful maisonettes, each of which has a corner balcony and an inner open space over two floors. I think it will be very attractive housing. We would like the building to be green. It is topical now, but we consulted this with Mr. Sendler, a landscape architect, who was recommended to us by the architect Pleskot, so that we could design the most suitable greenery for the individual cardinal points. We want the flower beds built into the balconies to have central irrigation and to be able to be maintained without bothering the tenants yet without letting the plants wither. We still need to solve this in the next stages of the project.

Will the apartments belong to the city and what is the realization schedule?

It is still open. The city is suffering a bit as a result of Covid, so funding is somewhat limited, but they are actively looking for a way as to how to allow for the project to continue. The latest information is that the way to go is by the use of a PPP project, i.e. Public Private Partnership. What is positive for us is that it has not been thrown off the table yet and it should not be stopped. On the contrary, the city is looking for a way as to how to launch the project.

How is it looking with the total price for the project?

After pricing the project, we arrived at an amount of approximately CZK 400 million. Let’s hope no additional costs are to occur. According to preliminary geological surveys, the subsoil should be fine, but we have more probes ahead of us, of course, and we will have to do a survey. The big advantage is that the house is already standing there. I doubt it would be realistic to push through a high-rise building into this zone.

The skyscraper is situated in the very centre of Ostrava then…

It is a residential area, a short way from the municipal authority, a short way from the river, surrounded by parks. Traffic can be a problem because the surrounding streets are busy. At the same time as the building, we have to deal with parking and we will have to build a park house, which will take up space where there is currently a car park. Originally, we wanted to restore the park, which was historically there and realise the car park in the place of a low building, which is adjacent to ours. In the end, we had to work out three options for the city on how best to solve it.

How is communication with the inhabitants from the immediate vicinity?

I must say that we had a very good experience with the city management with regards to the elaboration of the investment plan. They are mostly young, smart people and working with them is great. After the completion of the investment plan, we were faced with covid, so the public hearing took place via live broadcast on Youtube. Attendance was relatively broad. Apart from the public hearing, there was also a hearing for specialists. It was an interesting debate.

What topics were discussed?

The building currently has a certain appearance and our design is changing it. So, the debate was about whether it was appropriate to change the appearance the way we were doing, or whether we should respect the current appearance more.

What other projects are you working on?

In the summer, we should start building Obláček, which is an extension of the University Hospital Plzeň in Lochotín. It’s a project that lay untouched for about 10 or 12 years and has now been set in motion. It will house the Czech National Register of Bone Marrow Donors. In Zlín, we are reconstructing a large auditorium for Tomáš Baťa University, preparations are continuing on Rohanské nábřeží and construction of two apartment buildings and one administrative building for Sekyra Group is to begin. In Pardubice, we completed the renovation of the castle, where we will reconstruct the social wing. On the second floor, there should be a hall for about 220 people; now we should start working on the implementing study.

You work in the studio with the architect Eva Jiřičná, who lives in London. Do you feel the impact of Brexit?

We haven’t felt the effects of Brexit much yet. We were much more affected by covid, because Eva has been locked in London for over a year. But on the other hand, we learnt to work at home office here, we like it and, so far, it’s been working for us. Even working from a distance with Eva works perfectly. We have a debate on individual projects at least once a day, optimally twice a day, and I think that is very beneficial. As Eva used to come here regularly, we were not as connected as we are now. The frequency in communication is greater and is more efficient. From our colleagues in the Netherlands, we’ve mostly learned to use Zoom, the advantage of which is that anyone involved can paint directly on the shared screen. We used to work through Teams and said: “You need to do this and that in the right corner…”, but now we can zoom it in, paint… Such information is very well shared. This is actually a benefit of these times!

Arnošt Wagner / Photo: archive AI Design

 

Box:

Built-up area of the main building: 33,850 cc m

Built-on area of the main building: 583.6 sq m

Total height of the building:           70.25 m

History

The existing building was built between 1965 and 1968 as part of the Jindřiška housing estate; it has shown certain technical and operational problems over the years. The skyscraper has 22 floors and was originally used as an apartment building. Later, the layout was adapted to office space. Furthermore, the perimeter cladding or more precisely unsuitable façade panels, which show considerable damage and at the same time contain asbestos, were replaced. The building hasn’t been used since 2013.

The construction system consists of a combination of a concrete skeleton and a monolithic core around the stairwell with bar elements of girders and columns. At present, we do not have documents for ceiling cavity panels, so it is also necessary to perform a construction technical survey with the required tests. A sufficient load-bearing capacity of the load-bearing structure, which was confirmed by static assessment and calculations within the design elaboration, was found thanks to the preliminary technical assessment from 2012.