Apartment with glass block walls | Papundekl architekti

A young couple loved living in a 70’s housing estate Dablice in Prague and after a few years in a rented flat decided to buy an identical flat in the neighbouring block of flats. However, he wanted to move into the new apartment after its total refurbishment. He therefore started looking for architects and after a small tender he approached Papundekl architects for cooperation.

The clients knew all the advantages and problems of the layout and their main goal was to make the apartment more light and get enough storage space. After joint discussions, a path of minor adjustments to the existing, otherwise satisfactory, layout was chosen.

In order to allow more natural light into the center of the apartment, the architects designed new partitions made entirely of glass-blocks. This way, light literally passes through the entire apartment. Glass-blocks have good acoustic parameters, let light through and can be easily arranged in an arch, which was used to round off the originally tortuous corridor around the bathroom core. The glass-block walls thus became the main theme of the interior of the apartment.

The original linoleum was replaced with a neutral gray polyurethane flooring throughout the apartment. A concrete construction was exposed on several walls in the living area, emphasizing the character of the prefabricated house in the interior, which its inhabitants are not ashamed of, but rather appreciate.

Another important element of the interior is the built-in furniture. The architects designed a modular shelving system that is anchored to the ceiling with steel frames. The shelves are made of birch plywood, which complements the cooler shades of the apartment with a warm tone. The shelves are located in all the main rooms and are modified as needed, so that they serve as bookcases or kitchen cabinets in some places and as desks or bedside tables in others.

Switches and sockets are integrated into the furniture, eliminating the need for complicated drilling into concrete panels. LED strips are also placed in the shelves, which represent the only source of light in the entire apartment. The apartment thus doesn’t need conventional chandeliers and the rooms get a pleasant diffused light.

How do the residents themselves evaluate the whole refurbishment process?

"Already during the purchase of the apartment in our favorite housing estate Dablice we knew that we wanted to approach an architectural studio. On the recommendation of friends, we contacted a team of architects who seemed genuinely interested in the possibility of refurbishing a "prefabricated flat". We knew the space intimately, having lived in an identical layout for several years in a rental a few streets away.

Our intention was to have them design and create an airy and bright space that respected the identity of the location, while elevating the space and giving it personality. The first proposals seemed very bold and we were tempted by such a radical change, even though we were initially worried about the realization, because - even today - we can't imagine that we could do it on our own.

The architects at Papundekl were not only ambitious in their design, but invaluable in coordinating the building contractors and meticulous beyond expectations in checking and commenting on every single detail.

We have been living in this distinctive yet simple interior, for which the studio designed most of the furniture, for six months now. It is a comfortable home - for everyday life, frequent visits and for work. Invaluable in this are the extensive bookcases, which fill the spare space with color and provide enough space for not only the many books essential to our professional lives, but also trinkets, pleasures and decorative items from our travels."

Location: Prague - Dablice

Project: 2022

Completed: 2022

Usable Area: 67 m2

Architects: PAPUNDEKL ARCHITECTS

Authors: Jan Bárta, Šimon Bierhanzl, Marek Fischer

Photographer: Alex Shoots Buildings

Web fotographer: alexshootsbuildings.com

Social media tag photographer: @alex.shoots.buildings