Red Ribbon

Project idea

Zámek Zahrádky has a rich history dating back to the 16th century. However, this natural development was interrupted by a fire in 2003, which severely damaged the interiors and roof, leaving the exterior facade largely intact. Since then, Zámek Zahrádky has been awaiting not only reconstruction but also a revival of its former glory. The goal of this project is to bring attention back to Zahrádky and restore its status as a central cultural site. The main idea is to create an experience that attracts visitors while respecting the castle’s historic appearance. This attraction is designed to preserve the calm atmosphere of the castle gardens’ center, while taking place on the outskirts and rising into the sky. The color red, symbolizing Charles University, is used to draw a parallel between the university and the Zahrádky castle grounds. In my view, Charles University’s mission is to connect people, ideas, and knowledge to build a better future. Here, red represents the unification of the dispersed site. It serves as a visual connection between the castle, orangery, farmhouse, and custodian house, which currently feel separate and disconnected. The red color flows through the area like a ribbon creating pathways for visitors to explore. It also forms the shape of the castle’s roof, further tying the design to the historic structure.

Project description

The conference area and hotel are fully located in the Castle of Zahradky. The two main load-bearing interior walls have been preserved. In the first floor of the Castle administration, foyer with a lobby bar and also two lecture halls are located. 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor are consisted of hotel rooms and gastronomy aiming to host upto 120 guests. The fifth floor is consisted of a large auditorium and a smaller multipurpose hall, a sky bar, restaurant and a buffet. Compared to the original state of the hotel, two floors have been added to fit the capacity of 120 people. The rest of the area is made of a sky pathway, that starts on the roof of the castle and slowly weaves through the area. In the first part the path flows through a dense forest, creating an experience of walking in between tree crowns. The path gradually drops to the level of the roof of orangery and custodian house, which are used as a gallery and a cafe. The path then continues with lesser elevation dropping to the level of ground, ending in a walk in between statues that are located close to the castle. Furthermore two viewpoints have been added, one by the castle and one near the orangery and custodian house, to show the beuatiful views of the region of Zahrádky.

Technical information

The exterior walls of the castle have been preserved. Two floors have been added, the walls are consisted of opaque solar glass. The underground parking is equipped with places for electrocars and EV chargers. The castle also uses a heat pump, air handling unit with a heat recovery system. Planted wastewater treatment is used, greywater and rainwater are collected and used for the conservation of the garden. The paths are made of glass reinforced concrete GFRC with metal cladding and tartan as walking surface.