Brick façade with interplay of light and shade

 
Madeta, the largest processor of milk in the Czech Republic, wanted the new Madeta Akademie to create a clear visual identity for the company’s premises, invest in thermal insulation and sustainability and optimise synergistic use of the existing buildings. They wanted a modern building complex with a touch of industrial atmosphere, without completely abandoning the existing architectural structures.
 
No easy task for the architects of +arch from Budweis, who had to work with rooms on varying levels and very specific space requirements within an existing collection of buildings. Some façades and windows were to be retained, which involved breaking up spatial structures or installing insulation.
 
Elsewhere, new building elements were constructed. The client wanted the complex to have overall clarity, from the inside and outside.

 
The Madeta Akademie was to be the dominant element of the ensemble. The façades of the existing building were cleaned, refurbished, insulated and brought together in a single framework with clearly structured elements. The new, vertical staircase tower and horizontal entrance portal in red brick direct the eye and create visual orientation. The building envelope of the tower combines openings with bricks that protrude from the façade, producing a varied interplay of light and shadow. Floor-to-ceiling windows mean the effect is also visible from inside.
 
These modifications resulted in a building complex with a wide variety of potential uses: Two buildings with separate access and different functions now house nine meeting rooms, a conference room, a private restaurant with a connected presentation space and ample space for short-term and long-term accommodation with a total of 36 beds.

During the course of the renovations, the outdoor area was converted from a forecourt of bare gravel to a leafy communal space. Planners were able to create a visual link between the Akademie and the neighbouring building with their choice of facing bricks. The adjacent building was clad in the same brick as the Akademie, but in a lighter and less dominant colour, creating a sense of connection between the two buildings while ensuring that the Akademie is not overshadowed.
 
In addition to creative changes, the outer walls were also upgraded with thermal insulation. Inside, sound-absorbing and thermally insulating masonry was constructed. The end result is a functional building complex with a touch of industrial chic that ties in perfectly with modern design trends.