| Client | AFI EUROPE |
|---|---|
| Location | Karlin, Prague |
| Scale | 23000 m2 |
| Completion | 2018 |
CMC was inspired to super-position here an inversed form - an elliptical, bi-winged object - which at once speaks to the machine factory history of Karlin, while at the same time assimilates the organic, park character of Zizkov hill. It was invented as a conceptual marriage between two opposing phenomenon. The result is a surprising new identity, with richly detailed facades, open public gardens, and a building bringing a friendly open face to its context.
In a transitional context of residential blocks and former factories (solitaires), we found the site for AFI Karlin BUTTERFLY exceptional in essentially three ways – it is at the unique moment of transition on an axial street crossing the entire district; it sympathizes with of the diagonal geometry marking special buildings nearby; and, it is one of few, modern office buildings with direct contact to Zizkov Hill and its majestic green.
The AFI KARLIN BUTTERFLY is as tactile as it is intelligent, with a clear ecological goal of not only a high-level of energy certification, but also of visual and physical comfort of is users and visitors. It is intended as a ‘living work’ with human scale and the enhancement of its sensory level environment.
The facades of AFI KARLIN BUTTERFLY are its dynamic – they qualify the object as a living organism, which grows, changes and moves in time, while also insulating the building and creating oxygen in the immediate context. The vertical gardens as well contribute to improving the acoustic character of the surrounding neighborhood.
The central atrium was invented as a space for the building to ‘breathe’, where people go out and can still be inside. It’s a multi-functional space with a dual psychology – normally it’s a contemplative zone where curves surround you, green engulfs you and water relaxes you – but it can also be an event space, which is active, lively and cultural.
At AFI KARLIN BUTTERFLY, we had a compelling desire to give more meaning and interaction between the building and its place in Karlin. We brought the notion to AFI EUROPE that the power of the overal concept could be significantly enhanced if CMC would invite Maxim Velcovsky (LASVIT), who we have previously collaborated with, to invent original art pieces for the four entry lobbies/reception spaces.
Each portrait has its specific position, its own color of glass and is composed of over 3 500 hand-blown glass balls (or water drops). The lobby portraits can be seen from the exterior even in the daytime, but at night, as the building dissappears, the pioneers and important personalities of Karlin’s history come to life from within AFI KARLIN BUTTERFLY.